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IDOT Agrees to Add Left‑Turn Lanes at Route 53 and Arsenal Road, Will County DOT Says
Summary
Will County Department of Transportation officials told the Highway Committee that the Illinois Department of Transportation has agreed to include left‑turn lanes and related improvements at the Route 53/Arsenal Road intersection; the work is part of an IDOT multi‑year project and is expected to occur in the coming years.
Will County Department of Transportation officials told the Will County Highway Committee that the Illinois Department of Transportation has agreed to add left‑turn lanes and other improvements at the intersection of Illinois Route 53 and Arsenal Road in Jackson (Manhattan) Township.
The update, given by the county engineer and director of the Department of Transportation, said the intersection has a history of crashes caused when east‑west drivers stop to turn left and trailing drivers attempt to pass. "We brought this project forward because there are a lot of accidents on this particular project," the county engineer said, and IDOT "has now agreed to take in those left turnings into their project." He said the county expects the work will not cost the county and that the work is part of IDOT's plans within a multi‑year program, likely a couple of years out.
Why it matters: the intersection has generated recurring safety concerns from the committee and residents; adding dedicated turn lanes is a standard engineering fix meant to reduce rear‑end and improper‑passing crashes. The county engineer said IDOT will handle signal work, roadway widening on the county road, a southbound‑to‑west right‑turn lane on Route 53, resurfacing, and a bike ramp on the east side of the road as part of the larger Route 53 project.
Committee members asked whether the bridge over the creek just north of the intersection would need widening. The county engineer replied that when the project was presented previously, IDOT indicated the bridge would not be affected and the county would not need to widen it. Board member Van Dine pressed further on whether pedestrian access would be preserved; the county engineer said the final design might use full roadway width and that only a small shoulder would likely remain, but he did not state a final pedestrian‑access decision. The county engineer said IDOT's final design "might look a little different when they get to the end," and the committee should expect refinements when IDOT advances the design.
The county engineer introduced department staff who manage project phases, permits and maintenance; he said staff will continue to coordinate with IDOT as the state advances the multi‑year Route 53 work. No formal county action was taken on the Route 53 update during the meeting.
