With construction under way, many people are already looking forward to completion and want to know more about the new Willow Road. Here are some details.
The final roadway was designed and is being constructed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Prior to moving forward with construction, IDOT took the roadway through a two-year Community Advisory Group (CAG) process to get input on the overall design from the towns of Northfield, Northbrook, Glenview and Winnetka. Many options were studied, but, in the end, IDOT elected to construct a road that consists of two eastbound travel lanes, two westbound travel lanes, with left-hand turn lanes at the intersections. The roadway will also contain the following enhancements that were recommended by the CAG members:
- 10 feet wide travel lanes
- 30 m.p.h. speed limit
- Planted medians with enhanced gateway plantings
- 6 feet wide sidewalks on both sides of the street
- Pedestrian crossing features:
Extra wide crosswalks
Pushbutton countdown pedestrian signal
Center refuge medians
Lighted intersections
Corner planting
Mid-block pedestrian park crossing at Clarkson Park - Parkway trees every 30 to 40 feet
- Decorative stone bridge and retaining wall
- 7 feet wide sidewalk over the Eden’s Bridge
- Brick paver sidewalks and decorative lighting in the downtown
- Decorative combined signal and lighting poles at the intersections
- A large storm water system under the roadway
To follow the progress of the work and monitor traffic conditions, stay tuned to http://northfieldwillowroad.blogspot.com/ on Facebook at Willow Road Construction Project or Twitter @willowroadcp.
