The Winnebago County Boards public works committee brought several transportation and capital measures to the full board and won approval, Public Works presenter Dave Tassoni said.

Tassoni described a planned Forest Hills Road safety project between Pepper Drive and Pleasant Valley. He said the site has been dangerous, citing a fatality last year and a "very serious accident" in the days before the meeting. "Were gonna do some milling of the center, rumble strip there and were gonna sneak in some turn lanes out in that area to help with some safety issues," Tassoni said. The county will advertise a bid for the work and expects to cobble together roughly $50,000 from savings to fund immediate fixes while pursuing a larger grant.

Tassoni said the highway department has applied for a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant of about $2,600,000 that, if awarded, would fund major improvements within the next couple of years. The Forest Hills resolution was moved, seconded and approved by the board.

The board also approved a joint funding agreement with the state of Illinois for federal participation in replacing the Prairie Hill Road bridge over the Rock River. Tassoni said the county received a $4,400,000 construction award from the state special bridge program and that bid opening for the total reconstruction is scheduled for Sept. 25. The resolution appropriates the countys local share of that project.

Separately, the board approved a resolution to lease five light-duty vehicles through the countys master lease program; Tassoni said the budget impact is about $34,000 and that leasing reduces maintenance costs and improves reliability. The board also approved the annual Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) resolution authorizing bond payment obligations tied to prior overlay projects on Baxter Road and Best Road; Tassoni said the MFT appropriation is required annually by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

All measures passed after motions and seconds; no substantive debate followed the presentations.