Carpentersville will pay an engineering firm $200,000 to evaluate possible solutions to the congestion at Miller and Randall roads, an area near the Menards and Woodman’s Market stores that’s become a notorious headache for drivers.
HR Green Inc., a McHenry firm that worked on a traffic study on access points to the shopping center last year, has been hired to do the second phase of the project in which engineers will analyze possible solutions to the traffic problems in the area west of Randall Road along Miller Road/Woodside Drive.
What they come up with will Carpentersville officials decide “what are our options and what is the best value for the taxpayers,” Village Manager John O’Sullivan said.
The area has been a traffic problem for a while, O’Sullivan said. “Of course, residents have let us know about their feelings as well,” he said.
Engineers will evaluate three options so the village can decide on the best approach and which would be the best investment, he said.
One choice is converting a right-in lane from Randall Road, near a McDonald’s located on an outer lot of the shopping center, into a right-out lane. The lane isn’t wide enough for two lanes but the change would help motorists exiting the center, O’Sullivan said.
If chosen as the best alternative, the village would need to coordinate efforts with the Kane County Division of Transportation to make it happen, he said.
“Right now it’s the lowest-cost option, but it may not yield the results we want,” he said.
A second solution is adding a traffic light on a street that leads to the Menards’ driveway and parking lot, O’Sullivan said. It would be the only exit from the shopping center. The intersection located east of that location would be adjusted to have a right-in, right-out setup.
The third option is to create a new entrance and exit at the north end of the property off Huntley Road. It would require obtaining right-of-way from the neighboring Fox Valley Church. Village officials have met with the church leaders and discussions remain ongoing, O’Sullivan said.
The Woodman’s Market and Menards stores draw a lot of traffic on Randall and Miller roads, prompting Carpentersville officials to look for ways to ease congestion by possibly altering entrances or creating a new one. (Courier-News file photo)
“Those are several options being discussed. None of them are set in stone,” he said.
Carpentersville officials have been working on finding a solution for about a year and a half. O’Sullivan said he’s always surprised at how long it takes for things to get done in local government.
“It’s never as fast as you want it,” he said. “We’ll keep pushing until (it’s done).”
The need to resolve the safety and traffic issues at the site is an important one, but drivers in the area — who drive on Randall Road at speeds higher than the posted limit — need to help too by slowing down, O’Sullivan added.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
