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Elgin council approves Highland–Lyle mini-roundabout after engineer outlines crash data and timeline
Summary
The City Council approved a joint funding agreement and construction engineering contract for a single-lane mini-roundabout at Highland and Lyle Avenues after a technical presentation citing a history of daytime angle crashes and a construction timeline that would bid in April and start this year.
Elgin city engineer Mike Poobanes presented the Highland–Lyle mini-roundabout project to the council, saying crash analysis dating to 2020–21 showed a high share of angle collisions and daytime incidents that the roundabout design would reduce. “Almost 75% of the crashes were those angle type crashes,” Poobanes said, arguing the roundabout would remove multiple conflict points found in four-way intersections.
The presentation described funding drawn from the Kane Kendall Council of Mayors and federal STP dollars, with initial federal support rising from roughly $600,000 to about $1.1 million toward an approximately $1.4 million construction cost. Poobanes said the design fits within existing right-of-way so no property acquisitions are required and noted a planned closure of Highland for about three months during construction with a signed detour route.
Council members sought details on public outreach, comparative performance and alternate fixes. Poobanes said a public information meeting in August 2025 drew about “12 to 15” attendees, that the design follows Illinois Department of Transportation standards, and that the city performed a test track and vehicle maneuvers— including fire engines and school buses—before finalizing dimensions. He added the center of the mini-roundabout will be flat and mountable so large trucks and emergency vehicles can safely traverse it when needed.
Council debate focused on queue lengths, bicycle accommodations, relocation of a nearby Pace bus stop and the history of past roundabout installations in Elgin. Poobanes said lighting will follow the city’s adopted dark‑sky–informed standards and that the city will work with Pace on a new stop location outside the roundabout. He also said bike improvements were outside the current project scope because federal and state funding require logical termini for active‑mobility elements, but noted the city’s forthcoming active mobility plan could prioritize future bicycle routes.
On the agenda, the council approved a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for federally funded construction (vote 7–1) and separately approved a local public agency engineering services agreement for construction engineering with Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick (vote 7–1). City staff said the project is scheduled to be advertised for bid at the end of April, with an expected award in May and construction to follow this year.
The council directed staff to continue outreach and to monitor operations and queuing after construction. The agreements passed with identified vote tallies and no amendments were recorded during the meeting.
