Preliminary engineering is underway for improvements to Alft Lane, a gateway to a booming commercial/industrial park on Elgin’s west side.
“Alft Lane has been experiencing worsening traffic flow conditions for several years resulting in daily backups and traffic delays both in and out of the commercial subdivision west of Randall Road,” City Manager Rick Kozal said. “This project will be providing design information enabling the city to determine the best actions for defining the overall project scope and delivery methods.”
Councilmembers recently approved an agreement with Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc., for project design engineering services, not to exceed $109,000, to the Alft Lane and Randall Road intersection. The road is just south of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
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The biggest traffic problems are on Alft Lane between Randall Road and Capital Street due to more traffic, signal timing, and inadequate lane configurations, according to city documents.
A few options are widening Alft Lane with an additional northbound turn lane at Randall Road and the addition of a left turn lane to southbound Capital Street, according to city officials. Widening northbound Randall Road, between Alft Lane and the John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., entrance and the eastbound I-90 entrance ramp, officials said.
Public Works Director Mike Pubentz is working with the Kane County Department of Transportation, Kozal said. Randall Road falls within the county’s jurisdiction.
The design phase is expected to be done in May.
Alft Lane is named after E.C. “Mike” Alft, a local historian, retired teacher, and former mayor of Elgin. The road has become more congested with the area’s successful development, city officials said.
A $20 million state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution facility for Great Lakes Coca-Cola Bottling was approved last spring. Reyes Holdings is building that facility on 38 acres at the southeast corner of Alft Lane and Mason Road. There are also spec buildings in the subdivision.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.