6000 N Corridor Study

A number of events occurred in 1999 and 2000 that prompted this study. In brief, those events were:

The Amtrak train crash at McKnight Road in 1999 in which 11 people were killed prompted a local initiative to try to minimize the number of at-grade rail crossings along the Amtrak route through the area, particularly in areas where Illinois Route 50 parallels the Amtrak route.

  • The initiation of discussions involving a new Interchange on Interstate 57 at some location between Exit 315 in Bradley and Exit 322 in Manteno.
  • The increasing difficulty of moving freight by truck into and out of the triangle formed by U.S. Route 45, Illinois Route 50, and downtown Manteno.
  • The public resistance to any new bridge crossing the Kankakee River between Court Street in Kankakee and Warner Bridge Road.
  • The continuing uncertainty about the South Suburban Airport and it’s potential development.

Kankakee County sought Illinois Tomorrow funding to finance a Corridor Study defined by the Corridor Study Area. The funding for the Corridor Study was approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation, interviews were conducted, and the firm of Bernardin – Lochmueller & Associates were chosen to perform the study. The study began in July of 2001.

The need for the study was given to the consultant as the following:

  • Local road interconnection with the proposed Interchange with Interstate 57 at 6000 N Road (the Interchange location was determined during the Corridor Study).
  • Freight access in the corridor, both by train and truck.
  • Vehicle-train safety issues prompted by the Amtrak accident in Bourbonnais and problems associated with access to the area between U.S. Route 45/52 and Illinois Route 50.
  • Preservation of a viable crossing of the Kankakee River at Warner Bridge Road.
  • The potential of the South Suburban Airport to impact transportation in this corridor.

The study was conducted under the guidance of the Transportation Subcommittee of the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission. Public Information Meetings were held at four different locations along the study route, and oral and written comments were taken from the public at that time.

Based on those initial comments and the input of local officials, roadway improvement alternatives were developed and presented to a second Public Information Meeting to receive further oral and written comments.

The comments received from the second Public Meeting were refined, and presented to a third Public Information Meeting. After received comments from this meeting, a draft report was prepared, and information received after that meeting made part of the recommended route impossible to consider further. When it became clear that the only alternative possible was outside the study area given to the consultant, the staff of the Kankakee County Planning Department analyzed alternatives and selected a desired alternative.

A fourth Public Information Meeting was held to discuss the final recommended route , and comments were received at that meeting as well. Staff of the Kankakee County Planning Department also presented the final recommended route to all of the Planning Commissions in Kankakee County for their comments and support.

The Corridor Study was approved by the Transportation Subcommittee of the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission on March 18, 2004, and by the full Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission on March 23, 2004. The Kankakee County Planning, Zoning, and Agriculture approved the plan on April 19, 2004, and the full County Board approved the plan on May 11, 2004. The Resolution of the County Board of Kankakee County, Illinois approving the project is attached, and the project map is also an attachment.

This Study was approved by the Kankakee County Board on May 11, 2004. The Final Report for this Study can be found below. Some of the files are large and may take awhile to download.

  Figure 7: Annual Average Daily Traffic
  Figure 8: Major Employer and Truck Facility
  Figure 9: Kankakee County Environmental Footprint
  Figure 10: State System Deficiencies and Programmed Projects
  Figure 11: Planned Local Jurisdiction Projects FY 2001-2025
  Figure 12: Year 2012 Future Land Use Within Study Corridor
  Figure 13: Future Land Use Plan for Bourbonnais
  Figure 14: Village of Bradley Land Use Plan
  Figure 15: Village of Manteno Future Land Use Map
Chapter A: Introduction
Chapter B: Study Area Overview
Chapter C: Purpose and Need
Chapter D: Transportation and Land Use Development Patterns
Chapter E: Existing Roadway Conditions and Financial Resources
Chapter F: Environmental Inventory
Chapter G: Local Plan Summary
Chapter H: Alternatives
Chapter I: Proposed Improvements
Chapter J: Coordination / Public Involvement Activities
Chapter K: Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendix A: Displays for First Public Meeting - Alternatives
Appendix B: Displays for Final Public Meeting - Recommended Alignment
Appendix C: Kankakee County Planning Department Supplemental Study
 
 
Access Justification Report
 
6000 N Road Public Hearing Presentation October 02, 2001
Note: This file is extremely large (100mb+) and will take a while to download. It will also require the user to have Microsoft Powerpoint software installed on their computer.