Public Hearing to Address Changes to Randall, Algonquin Intersection

The public will get the chance to sound off on a continuous-flow intersection proposed for Algonquin and Randall roads — the first of its kind in the state — which has village officials and some Lake in the Hills business owners concerned.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation will host the public hearing from 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 24 in the cafeteria at H.D. Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Drive in Algonquin. 

The continuous-flow intersection, or CFI, is a part of the county's preferred plan for a wide-scale improvements to Randall Road, which would widen the roadway to six lanes. 

The hearing will be set up in an open house format with exhibits on display showcasing the county's proposed plan. McHenry County Division of Transportation representatives and a team of consultants will be on hand to discuss the project.

Written comments can be submitted online or mailed to 16111 Nelson Road, Woodstock, IL 60098.

What is a CFI?

The county’s proposed plan would widen Randall Road to six lanes between Ackman and County Line roads. It would call for a two-legged continuous-flow intersection at Algonquin and Randall roads.

"A continuous-flow intersection has traffic turning left placed to the left of oncoming traffic, opposite where it is normally. This removes the conflict between oncoming traffic and traffic turning left," according to a FAQ page on the Randall Road Improvements project website. "Vehicles turning left access the lane a few hundred feet in front of the intersection."

A graphic showing an aerial map of the proposed plan, and a video which demonstrates how a CFI works, can be found on the Randall Road project website.

A continuous-flow intersection would cut down on travel time and congestion along the heavily traveled Randall Road, according to county officials. 

If a conventional intersection remained at Randall and Algonquin, projections for peak travel time in 2030 showed the average motorist would face a delay of nearly 93 seconds, which received an “F” or failing level of service for a roadway.

The CFI would mean a 51.1 second delay for the average motorist and a “D” level of service.

Village Officials Oppose CFI

Village officials have voiced strong opposition to the continuous-flow intersection. Lake in the Hills trustees on Jan. 12 passed a resolution in support of a conventional intersection design at Randall and Algonquin roads.

One of the main reasons the village is against the CFI is because officials fear it will draw motorists away from businesses along Randall Road in Lake in the Hills and lead to less sales tax revenue for the village.

Village officials also list the following reasons for wanting a conventional intersection instead of a continuous-flow intersection in a recent resident newsletter and on the village's website:

• A conventional intersection will cost $20 million less than a CFI.
• The continuous-flow intersection possibly would require two businesses to relocate (Bank of America in Lake in the Hills and Thornton’s gas station in Algonquin) to new properties, would close four business access driveways and restrict five more to right-turn-only access.
•  Since the CFI would be the first of its kind in the state, it would cause confusion for drivers and increase vehicle accidents.
• A conventional intersection only requires 17.5 acres of land while the continuous-flow intersection requires 19.5 acres.
• The reduction in travel time anticipated for the CFI does not justify the adverse impacts to the Lake in the Hills community.

County Board Chair: Randall Improvements Part of Bigger Plan

County Board Chairman Kenneth Koehler responded to village concerns in a Jan. 11 letter to Village President Ed Plaza.

In the letter, he stressed the amount of time and effort the county had taken in studying alternative designs for Randall Road. He also reiterated the need for Randall Road improvements to address regional travel.

“The proposed Randall Road improvements are part of much larger efforts to increase access to Interstate 90 while improving local traffic circulation between commercial, industrial and residential zones by making strategic improvements to county highways in the southeastern corner of McHenry County,” Koehler wrote in the Jan. 11 letter to Plaza.

The letter also stated the county had taken into consideration concerns from the village when designing its plans, as well as input from Algonquin and Crystal Lake officials.

Plaza, in an email response to Patch.com, stated many Lake in the Hills business owners have expressed concerns about the changes.

“It is apparent the county is merely giving us lip service when saying to us they have listened to our concerns,” Plaza wrote.

He said he’s since written to area federal representatives to express these concerns further.

“Seeing as how they are committed to getting federal funding, I have written to our federal representatives expressing our board’s view on this intersection design,” he said. 

At the earliest, construction on the Randall Road improvement project would start in summer of 2016, according to Koehler's letter.