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Council approves engineering selection and $420,000 contract for North First Street/Sycamore Road reconstruction; project funded largely by federal HSIP program
Summary
The council accepted Wills Burke Kelsey as the design engineer and approved a $420,000 engineering agreement (10% local share) for a corridor reconstruction and roundabout concept at North First Street and Sycamore Road, funded through the federal/state Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
The DeKalb City Council on Monday accepted a qualifications‑based selection and approved a $420,000 engineering contract to begin design work on a proposed intersection reconstruction at North First Street and Sycamore Road — a project city engineers say qualifies for federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding with a 90/10 state‑local match.
Why it matters: City staff said the intersection’s crash history and geometry made it eligible for HSIP funds and that a roundabout and corridor improvements could reduce severe crashes and improve pedestrian safety, including a proposed HAWK pedestrian signal near Clinton Rosette School.
The council voted to accept the qualification‑based selection (QBS) of Wills Burke Kelsey Associates (WBK) to perform design engineering services and then authorized a professional services agreement with WBK for $420,000, with $42,000 of local funds appropriated to cover the city’s roughly 10 percent share.
City Engineer Zach Gill explained that the federal HSIP program is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation and that qualifying projects are selected based on crash data and safety need. “This is a 90/10 match for every aspect of the project,” Gill said, adding that the engineering phase is expected to take roughly two years and that the earliest possible public opening, if all stages proceed and additional construction funding is secured, could be late 2027.
Scope and design considerations: Gill and staff said the work will go beyond a single circular intersection. The engineering study will examine corridor geometry from Lincoln Highway north along First Street to the bridge, consider dedicated turn lanes, splitter islands, and potential bypass slip lanes to preserve capacity for through traffic. The plan includes pedestrian safety measures and coordination with school officials so crossings near Clinton Rosette School could be controlled with high‑visibility, actuated devices.
Council questions focused on lane configuration, impacts to bus and school traffic, and how the intersection changes would affect adjacent signals. Gill said a roundabout typically increases capacity and eliminates certain conflicting turning movements; he also said the design will accommodate buses and emergency vehicles.
Funding and next steps: The city manager and staff recommended approval; council approved both the selection and contract by roll call. Staff will begin detailed engineering with WBK, continue crash and capacity analyses, engage IDOT/DSATS for funding and permitting coordination, and return to council with design milestones and requests for future construction funding.
Ending: Council members described the measure as a safety‑driven, long‑term investment in a corridor they called “gnarly” and time‑sensitive due to documented crash severity; staff said they will report back with analysis results and a recommended construction schedule.
