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City eyes Willowbrook and Gardner as priorities for new IDOT local projects funding
Summary
Staff urged the council to endorse a priority list for a new IDOT local‑project funding call due June 1, putting Willowbrook (State Line to Prairie Hill) first and Gardner (Highway 2 to South Park) second so the city can pursue engineering and construction funding opportunities.
City staff asked the council on May 19 to endorse a list of priority street projects for a newly announced IDOT local‑projects funding round with applications due June 1.
Brandon and other staff said the top candidate is Willowbrook Road from the state line to Prairie Hill because it would capture casino traffic and is likely to score well under the call for projects. The second priority is Gardner from Highway 2 to South Park, a corridor staff said needs improvements to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists and to address connectivity with nearby bypass routes. Staff said these two projects are the most ‘‘project‑ready’’ candidates for the current funding funnel; Charles Street Park improvements and the South Bluff/Prairie Hill bypath were listed as third and fourth priorities but may be less eligible immediately.
Staff explained the IDOT solicitation is a short, flexible call for projects that appeared with a tight timeline; the application requires a project description and an overall cost estimate but does not require environmental clearances or letters of support at application time. Brandon recommended seeking state funding for preliminary engineering so projects become shovel‑ready and more competitive for federal and state construction grants such as TA, ITEP and truck‑route funds.
Council members asked questions about matching funds and timing; staff said the IDOT pot is currently described as 100% state funding for selected projects and that engineering funding will help position the city to pursue larger grants later. Staff will attend a training in Dixon and follow up with the council before June 1 to finalize submittals.
Ending: Staff will circulate proposed project descriptions and cost estimates to council members for review this week; no final application was submitted at the May 19 meeting.
