Area Near Darien Interchange To Be Studied: Official

DARIEN, IL — DuPage County plans to look at the traffic volumes and crash history in the areas near the Interstate 55 interchange at Cass Avenue.

The study would result in recommendations to improve traffic flow, Bill Eidson, a county traffic engineer, said in an email this week.

The area examined would be from Cass Avenue and South Frontage Road to Cass Avenue and 91st Street. The county expects to receive proposals from engineering firms next month.

The area in question includes Cass Avenue and South Frontage Road, an intersection that concerns residents. At least two major motorcycle crashes have occurred there since last year.

On May 31, 2020, Gina C. Pisano, 31, of Oak Lawn, who was riding a motorcycle, collided with a pickup truck, according to a police report. She died shortly afterward.

Opponents of the nearby Sterling Bay warehouse from a couple of years ago are among those who are calling for changes to the intersection. They say when the warehouse reaches full capacity, it could worsen the situation.

The opponents are concerned with semi-trucks exiting from northbound Interstate 55 onto southbound Cass Avenue in Darien. These trucks, they say, must perform three immediate lane changes across Cass to turn left on South Frontage to access Sterling Bay.

Darien resident Charles Fischer prompted the email from Eidson this week, asking about the status of the county's work. He said the multi-lane-change maneuver is a concern.

"We understand that this Cass Avenue corridor is complex," Fischer said in an email to Eidson. "However, the elimination of the unsafe and illegal maneuver discussed herein is not. Is the county maintaining that this maneuver is safe? This problem begs for a resolution."

Residents also say the increased use of the nearby Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is a likely factor in the problem.

A few months ago, the Darien city government released a report that it said showed the two major motorcycle crashes since last year appeared to have been the result of poor judgment.