Village Receives Award for Atkinson Road Extension Project

“The Village is honored to receive this award for the Atkinson Road extension project from the APWA. Village and State officials spent many years working together on this project including acquiring the necessary right- of-way, working to secure the necessary funding, and planning various phases of the project,” said Mayor Rhett Taylor.

The Village received this award for the complexities encountered during the construction phase of the road extension for working to minimize traffic inconveniences to residents and businesses, taking safety precautions to protect surrounding public and private property, working through adverse construction site conditions, and good construction practices including completion of the project on schedule.

The extension of Atkinson Road opened to traffic in December of 2013.

The extension has curb and gutter included on most of its length with turn lanes at various locations. The road extension serves as a north/south alternative to Route 83. It is designed to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

The Village was able to obtain some state and federal government transportation funds toward the project. The total project cost was $9.1 million. Included in the cost is design engineering, land acquisition, utility relocations, and construction. 

The Village secured $4.8 million in Federal transportation funds and $300,000 from the State of Illinois. The remaining project cost ($4 million) was paid by the Village. The Village’s project cost was reserved in recent years for this transportation improvement.

The State of Illinois plans to realign Route 83 to meet the new Atkinson Road extension and relocate the Route 83 / Route 137 intersection. The design phase for this project is now underway with construction possible within the next few years. 

The Route 120 / Route 83 intersection will also be expanded to reduce traffic congestion. The State has not yet provided a timetable for this project to be completed.