Noise, Safety Fears In Frankfort Over Laraway Road Plans

FRANKFORT, IL — Will County's Laraway Road is set to undergo major improvements over the next several years. However, Frankfort residents are concerned after a recent meeting about the project discussed the destruction of a berm and clearing of trees, which nearby residents say protect their homes from noise and safety concerns.

According to the project website, the Laraway Road project is currently in phase 1, the planning phase, which is set to be completed in mid-2021. Phase II, design, will begin in late 2021, and phase III, construction, isn't expected to begin until 2025. Laraway Road is under the jurisdiction of the Will County Department of Transportation.

The project involves widening Laraway Road, from Cedar Road to La Grange Road, from a 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane roadway, with the through lanes in each direction separated by a curbed grass median, according to the project website.

Resident Jennifer Bandes said the roadway expansion "will lead to the needless destruction of mature and necessary plant life along the project."

She told Patch that during a recent meeting about the project, residents found out that the current plan would lead to the destruction of a "multi-mile earth bound berm."

"...This large stretch of mature trees has not only provided value and beauty to the community and the residents but served as noise and pollutant abatement between the road and residents’ homes for more than 15 years," Bandes said. "While the destruction of all the trees is a tragedy in itself, it is made worse by the current plans' complete lack of remediation for the barriers it will destroy."

She said residents were told that the south side of Laraway Road did not qualify for any noise abatement.

Bandes has created a Facebook group for area residents who oppose the destruction of the berm, "A Call to Action: Residents for a safe Laraway Road." The group has nearly 200 members.

Bandes said residents who live on the south side of Laraway Road, in the Cobblestone Walk, Misty Falls, The Homestead and Autumn Fields subdivisions would feel the burden of this project.

"It is illogical that this burden is thrust upon Frankfort citizens when the land directly to the north is open land uninhabited by resident homes," she said.

Residents Sam and Debi Giordano said they have lived in Frankfort for over 40 years, and moved to a section of town away from heavy traffic after living near Route 30 and La Grange Road.

"Now we are in a situation where Laraway Road has become a drag strip for muscle cars, a common road for multiple loud motorcycles, and a heavy truck route with dump trucks that constantly blow through the red light at 116th and Laraway Road. It has become extremely dangerous, loud, and has decreased our quality of living," Sam told Patch.

He said the expansion of the road will dramatically increase danger and noise because of the plans "for the majority of the land being taken to be on the south side where all of the homes are closest to Laraway instead of the north side where they have vacant fields and much more land."

"We really don’t want to move but right now I can’t imagine if this goes through the amount of dust, dirt, debris, and noise, will be overwhelming and will reduce our home values," Sam said.

"We truly never thought that they would be taking down 20-30 year old trees that reach in excess of 25 feet tall," Debi said. She added that the power lines and main drainage from run-off are also located on the south side of the road and would need to be relocated.

Resident Tim Brooks said he is also concerned noise and the value of his home.

“We were shocked and disappointed to hear that our home/subdivision will not have the opportunity to benefit from the construction of a sound barrier during [the] latest conference call [meeting]. This will greatly impact not only the value of our home, but our quality of life," he said.

"...We love our home and what to enjoy many more years building memories and moments, not searching for the nearest headphones," he said.

The Village of Frankfort placed some information about the project on its website, and provided a link for residents to comment on the project.

"The Village of Frankfort encourages residents to review and comment on the Laraway Road expansion project," the village said on its website.

On the project's website, the county states that the project is needed due to the traffic volumes on Laraway, as well as the "anticipated grown in population and employment" in the county.

Patch has reached out to the Will County Division of Transportation, but has not yet received a response.

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