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Planefield Road corridor redesign aims to fix pavement, add sidewalks and reduce flooding
Summary
Cook County engineers outlined a 3.5‑mile Planefield Road study that would add curb and gutter, continuous sidewalks, a south‑side shared‑use path, closed storm sewers and detention; design approval is expected in fall 2025 with phased construction starting in 2028 pending funding.
Cook County Department of Transportation engineers told Lyons Township officials that the Planefield Road corridor project seeks to correct long‑standing pavement and drainage deficiencies along roughly 3.5 miles of roadway and to add continuous pedestrian and bicycle accommodations.
"The purpose of this project is to address existing roadway and drainage infrastructure deficiencies, enhance pedestrian bicycle accommodations, and improve safety and operational mobility for all users on Planefield Road," said Sanjay Jooshi, project manager with Cook County DOT. County engineers showed a preferred cross‑section that would provide three 11‑foot lanes with a bi‑directional center turn lane for much of the corridor, add curb and gutter, provide a continuous north‑side sidewalk and a south‑side shared‑use path, and modernize signals to handle projected 2050 traffic volumes.
Cook County and its consultants said the corridor currently has intermittent sidewalks and areas with open, shallow roadside ditches. Drainage work described by county staff includes a new closed drainage system with storm sewers and detention to mitigate increased runoff. Adam James of Cook County noted coordination with IDOT and the MWRD to align sewer upsizing and ensure forward compatibility with other projects, including an IDOT‑led 55th Street improvement that will increase downstream capacity.
County staff said the study began in 2020 with a corridor advisory committee and multiple public touchpoints; a public in‑person meeting is planned for summer 2025 and design approval is targeted for fall 2025. To keep the large project manageable, the county expects to deliver it in two contracts: one from west of Willow Springs Road to East Avenue (contract 1) and another from County Line Road to west of Willow Springs Road (contract 2). The presenters said they hope to begin construction on contract 1 in 2028 and contract 2 in 2030, each expected to take about two years, subject to funding availability.
Cook County staff also pointed participants to a project website for more details: improveplanefield.org, and described current funding sources under consideration, including federal grants and county ARPA programs.
