Barrington breaks ground on long-awaited Route 14 underpass
In an event 17 years in the making, Barrington officials finally sank shovels in the dirt Wednesday, getting construction on the Route 14 underpass officially underway.
Several Barrington area dignitaries attended the groundbreaking for the underpass, which will stretch from Valencia Avenue to Hough Street, running underneath the Canadian National Railway tracks.
The underpass aims to alleviate traffic congestion and improve emergency response times by separating vehicle and rail traffic.
Construction is expected to conclude by July 2027.
“It means safer travels for vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians. It means less gridlock for our region, and for a patient in critical condition, it will mean an unimpeded trip to the hospital,” said outgoing Barrington Village President Karen Darch. “That can quite literally be the difference between life and death,”
The project's origins date back to 2008 when Canadian National purchased the EJ&E railroad, transforming what Darch called “a little-known three-train-a-day local freight line” into a first-class international freight railroad with 20 trains daily.
“We immediately recognized the issues that this was going to present,” she said. “Our community would be physically cut in two by the railroad.”
The increased rail traffic was almost immediately a problem for paramedics attempting to get to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital.
The village secured a federal grant in 2010 for initial planning and then in 2019 received a major boost from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).
“This grade separation really will make a meaningful difference for those of you who live here,” said CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman, adding it will also benefit the rest of the region.
Construction costs are expected to run $69.4 million.
Deputy Village Manager Marie Hansen said the work will entail relocating a portion of Flint Creek, constructing a new railroad bridge, rebuilding a four-lane state highway and lowering it more than 20 feet from its current elevation. It also involves maintaining active rail and vehicle traffic on temporary tracks and roads throughout construction.
Excavation and grading for a temporary road will happen first.
By late summer, the Canadian National Railway and village contractors plan to complete temporary track and rail alignments. Following that, will begin the early stages of underpass excavation.