Algonquin signs on to McHenry County road fund resolution

Algonquin passed a resolution Tuesday night calling on the state to put McHenry County on equal footing with the rest of the suburbs when doling out money for road improvements.

Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove and Hampshire have already passed the measure, and Cary is scheduled to consider the resolution on Tuesday. The measure also won the backing of the McHenry County Council of Governments last week.

The author, Algonquin Village President John Schmitt, hopes to get all of the towns in McHenry County and the county board to approve the measure before sending it to the governor.

The resolution asks the state to restore funding to the Route 31 western bypass and to accelerate funding for other county projects, including the widening of routes 31 and 47.

"It's incomprehensible that the governor should remove the funding from a county as populated and important to this state," Schmitt said.

But state transportation officials say they're not playing favorites.

"(The governor's) well aware of congestion and traffic issues in every area of the state," Illinois Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marisa Kollias said.

She added that there's enough money only to maintain existing infrastructure -- not to tackle congestion by extending and widening roads.

The state has budgeted only $8.7 million for the western bypass, which will cost an estimated $70 million. The bypass would direct traffic around the intersection of routes 31 and 62.

IDOT has budgeted nothing for the widening of Route 31, while it has committed $14 million to the widening of Route 47, a project estimated to cost almost $264 million.

If nothing else, the resolution may spark dialogue between state and local officials.

"We will continue to cooperate and have further discussions with McHenry County officials," Kollias said.