Village Gets Green Light — And $91,820 — For Road Reconstruction

OSWEGO, IL — Wolf's Crossing Road is getting a renovation thanks to a $91,820 grant approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Following the announcement from the village, and an engineering approval from the transportation department, the construction is expected to begin within the next two years.

The state confirmed on June 10 that it would release the Illinois Transportation Alternative Program funds to the village for pedestrian improvements near Wolf's Crossing and Harvey Roads, right by Oswego East High School. IDOT approved Phase 2 Engineering for the intersection June 16, allowing the project to move forward. Phase 1 was approved in early 2020.

Due to the size and cost of the project, it's expected to be completed in the 10 segments as funding becomes available from federal and state partners, according to a news release from the village. The Wolf's Crossing and Harvey Road intersection will be the first of those 10 segments.

Officials said that funding is also expected from developers who are planning to build new residential neighborhoods along Wolf's Crossing.

"Each dollar we find allows us to move this project forward faster and helps us better serve our residents, including the new residents we know will be moving in as development booms again along Wolf's Crossing," Parlier said in the news release.

The goal is to reconstruct the aging roadway, reduce congestion and accommodate new residential growth, according to a news release. To do so, the village and its president, Troy Parlier, have been pushing to get the $64 million needed in funding.

"One month after taking office we convened a meeting with our intergovernmental partners at the local, county, state and federal levels to find a way to make this a reality," Parlier said. "I’m very happy for our residents to see the pieces come together so rapidly."

The entire project could take a decade or more to complete, the village said. But once it's done, a four-mile stretch of Wolf's Crossing Road will have five lanes from the intersection of South Eola Road and Heggs Road to Southbury Boulevard, and three lanes from Southbury to State Route 71 and U.S. Highway 34.

The project will also implement paths for bicyclists and pedestrians, roundabouts to ease congestion and underground infrastructure to improve drainage.