Illinois Tollway Ends Work on Route 53, Tri-County Access Projects

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Openlands is very excited to share with you that the Tri-County Access project, which includes the Route 53 Extension, is dead.

Today, the Illinois Tollway announced that they will forgo completion of the proposed Tri-County Access project, an effort to extend new highway development from Cook County, through the middle of Lake County, and into eastern McHenry County. The proposed route included the Route 53 Extension, the Route 120 Bypass, and the Lake-McHenry Corridor. Likewise, the Lake County Board announced this past Tuesday that they will consider transportation alternatives to the project. Together, these announcements are an important milestone that moves us towards transportation solutions that allow Lake and McHenry Counties to be healthy, resilient, and competitive.

Openlands has been involved in the fight against the Tri-County Access project and Route 53 Extension since day one, and we will continue to collaborate with partners across the region to help develop and implement a comprehensive plan that increases our resiliency to a changing climate while balancing the needs of a growing region with healthy natural lands that benefit both people and wildlife.

After decades of history on this project, we celebrate that we can finally lift the specter of this project and collaborate to build a brighter, more sustainable future for northeastern Illinois.

Below are press statements from Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann:

Statement on Route 53

“As a former member of the Blue-Ribbon Advisory Council, we congratulate the Tollway and the Lake County Board for moving beyond the Route 53 Extension towards multi-modal transportation solutions that will make Lake County more prosperous and resilient to climate change.  It demonstrates that transportation projects don’t have to sacrifice our communities, our health and some of the finest natural landscapes in the country.  This decision opens the door to true consensus in how reclaiming the Route 53 corridor can offer vital linear connections and world class amenities to the county and the region.”

Statement on Tri-County Access

“Openlands commends the Illinois Tollway’s decision to forgo completion of the Tri-County Access project in Cook, Lake, and McHenry counties. The proposed route of the Tri-County Access project would have directly harmed some of the region’s most scenic and valued natural areas, including Volo Bog State Natural Area, Lake County’s Liberty Prairie Reserve, Heron Creek Forest Preserve, McHenry County’s Glacial Park, and Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. We look forward to collaborating on the creation of comprehensive, complementary transportation plans that respect the health of communities, our region’s natural heritage, and the need to increase resiliency in a changing climate.”

For more inforamtion, please contact info@openlands.org.

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Photo: Chicago Tribune

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