Brace yourself for bumpy Huntley Road for a while longer, folks
If the bumps, ruts and potholes on Huntley Road between Route 31 and Sleepy Hollow Road are making you feel frustrated and defeated, you're not alone.
West Dundee village board members feel your pain.
As if they are along for the ride, they feel every hole in narrow, winding road. And like the 15,000 to 16,000 motorists who rattle along the stretch of highway every day, all they can do is brace themselves and have patience.
They don't know how long motorists will need patience because no one has the money to widen and repave the road, said Joe Cavallaro, West Dundee village manager.
"It would take about $11 million to widen the road to five lanes, including adding turn lanes," Cavallaro said.
In the meantime, he and West Dundee trustees will continue to listen to complaints from motorists who are tired of dodging the larger ruts as they drive west to neighborhoods or to the Randall Road retail and commercial corridor.
The section of Huntley Road from Route 31 to Randall Road is maintained by West Dundee, Carpentersville and Kane County. The worst part lies between Spring Hill Mall and to the west border of the Tartans Glen neighborhood. West Dundee and Carpentersville public works employees bandaged over the larger potholes by throwing asphalt in them.
With the amount of traffic and the type of winter we've had this year, though, they don't stay filled for long.
"We spent $20,000 last year filling the holes," Cavallaro said. "We can't even get on the construction schedule to do this job right."
Widening the two-lane road will take a concerted effort and funding from Carpentersville, West Dundee, Kane County and the federal government. The two villages would each pay $1 million, and Kane County would pay $2 million.
The rest would come from federal coffers, Cavallaro said.
Kane County officials have a say in what projects get attention. But, believe or not, other roads -- such as Randall from I-90 to the Kane County line, and Stearns Road south of Elgin -- need quicker attention, said Paul Holcomb, chief designer for the Kane County Department of Transportation.
"We are completing phase one of Huntley Road," he said. "It involves looking at roadside drainage facilities, noise levels and traffic counts."
Phase two would actually have the new road designed. It will cost between $500,000 and $800,000, Holcomb said. Phase two isn't even planned yet, though.
Phase three entails the actual reconstruction of the road.
While West Dundee and Carpentersville officials receive complaints about Huntley and other Dundee Township roads, Kane County officials receive their share of complaints about other deteriorating and well-traveled roads, Holcomb said.
"It's challenging keeping up with all the demands," he said. "But there are other roads that need attention."