Montgomery Road Study

Project Overview

The Montgomery Road Study includes the development of Phase I engineering for improvements to Montgomery Road from Briarcliff Road to Hill Avenue within the Village of Montgomery and City of Aurora. The Study has been initiated to improve traffic capacity, safety, and traffic operations; while minimizing environmental impacts. The Study will evaluate alternatives for widening Montgomery Road with a continuous center turn lane, intersection improvements throughout, improvements to the existing drainage, and geometric design updates. Every step along the way, the Study will comply with the Federal Aid guidelines and follow the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Bureau of Local Roads and Streets procedures. Kane County Division of Transportation ensures that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Aid guidelines will be followed to provide a comprehensive transportation solution. The goal of the Phase I Study is to identify transportation deficiencies, develop improvement alternatives, recommend a preferred alternative, identify and evaluate impacts of the preferred alternative, and seek design approval to move the Montgomery Road project into Phase II (Design).

Study Area Deficiencies

As the Montgomery area experiences further growth and development, the pressure on Montgomery Road to serve the daily traffic needs will continue to increase. The 2.2- mile section of Montgomery Road between IL Briarcliff Road and Hill Avenue traverses a range of land uses from single and multi-family residential to commercial, as well as several public parks, the Virgil Gilman Nature Trail, the Aurora Township Cemetery, the Fox Valley Park District Aquatic Center, and active agricultural lands. Also of note is the presence of the Aurora Township Fire Department #2 near Montgomery Road and Spencer Street and PACE Bus Route 529 along a portion of the study corridor. The existing 2-lane minor arterial roadway section with intermittent center turn lanes on a 66 foot wide right-of-way is no longer effectively serving the 11,000 motorists using it each day, and the existing accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists are very limited. Accessibility along the corridor is difficult due to the lack of defined driveways, limited refuge for turning maneuvers, and lack of gaps in traffic flow. The Virgil Gilman Trail, Aurora Aquatic Center, and the Aurora Township Soccer Field are destinations which require safe accommodations for non-motorized trips. Also, accessibility for non-motorized users is difficult due to the lack of pedestrian facilities or room for safe bicycling in the corridor. The proposed conditions will utilize upgraded turn lanes with storage at major intersections. The future Montgomery Road will consist of an urban designed roadway that incorporates curb and gutter with a closed drainage system which will provide sufficient drainage for the area.

An improvement to the Virgil Gilman Trail crossing will be developed to provide a bicycle and pedestrian friendly crossing at the intersection with Montgomery Road. Due to the proposed widening of Montgomery Road, the current crossing will be in conflict with the future conditions and will be an insufficient pedestrian crossing.

Project Goals and Objectives

Reduce congestion & traffic delays
Minimize environmental impacts
Establish controlled drainage system
Provide safe multi-modal interaction
Provide development opportunities
Establish consistent landscape theme

Initial Alternatives

During the alternative development phase of the project a 4 lane and 3 lane cross section, intersection improvements, and 5 alternatives on the West end of the project limits were considered.

West end alternatives involved roundabout options, and the realignment of Montgomery Road to straighten out the S curve.

The Initial Alternatives Included:

Existing Alignment - East End

Alt 1 - 3-Lane Cross-Section
Alt 2 - 4-Lane Cross-Section

Intersection Improvements
Hill Avenue - Additional Turn Lanes
Douglas Avenue - Additional Through Lanes
Pedestrian Connectivity

S-Curve - West End

5 Alternatives

Alt 1 - Urban Compact Alternative
Alt 2 - Mini Roundabout
Alt 3 - Realignment
Alt 4 - Roundabout Realignment
Alt 5 - Urban Roundabout Realignment

Due to extensive coordination with the stakeholder focus group and other multiple factors, such as environmental and community impacts, a decision was made to drop the West end initial alternatives from further evaluation and the western project limit shifted to Briarcliff Road.

Public Involvement

Public involvement is an interactive process that allows the public to offer important input on individual and/or community concerns. Kane County Division of Transportation ensures that all public opinions are incorporated and that potential alternatives fit into and reflects the project's surroundings. The Study's progress will be shared with the public at multiple steps throughout the process. Kane County will host two public input opportunities: One which concluded in October 2013 and one final public hearing at the Preferred Alternative stage. Two Stakeholder Focus Group Meetings have been held to date. A summary of these two meetings are discussed below.

Public Meeting #1 - Fall 2013

The first Public Meeting for the Montgomery Road Study was held on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at the Village of Montgomery as an open house from 4:00 pm -7:00 pm. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the public about the project and gather seek input on the transportation issues within the Study Area. The Study Team provided a continuous presentation of the Study, an opportunity to review exhibits and aerial maps, provide comments, and meet with KDOT and the Study Team. Representatives from the Village of Montgomery, Kane County Board, and the Kane/Kendall Council of Mayors attended. Two media representatives attended, including one from the Ledger-Sentinel and The Voice Publications.

Many comments were provided at the meeting covering a variety of topics, with the following predominant themes: drainage, noise, dedicated turn lanes, land acquisition, roadway widening impacts, traffic speeds, traffic volumes, traffic control, crosswalks, access, and pedestrian/bicycle accommodations. Although the three-week comment period is at a close, all interested persons are encouraged to submit comments throughout the Study.

Stakeholder Focus Groups Formed

As part of the public outreach program, KDOT formed a Stakeholder Focus Group (SFG) to engage local stakeholders in discussions focused on the existing transportation system, operational deficiencies, environmental considerations, and potential alternatives.

The SFG is comprised of local government officials, property owners, key stakeholders, business community representatives, and individuals with expertise in the areas of transportation, land use, environment, and economic development in the study area.

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Next Steps and Funding

This current study is anticipated to be completed in the Fall of 2016. When funding is identified, future phases will be planned with consideration given to other projects in the area.

Phase I - Preliminary Engineering & Environment Study

Funded: Anticipated completion - Fall 2016

Phase II - Contract Plan Preparation & Land Acquisition

Not Funded

Phase III - Construction & Construction Engineering