Construction scheduled for Elburn rail overpass in the fall
By Matt Brennan For The Beacon-News January 16, 2013 2:34PM
Updated: February 19, 2013 2:04PM
Construction could begin on an overpass in Elburn as soon as this fall, to provide significant traffic relief from the rail crossings.
There are currently rail crossings at Route 47 and First Street in Elburn, which can block traffic up to three hours on any given day.
The solution being worked on is a long-discussed $22 million overpass on Anderson Road, east of the other two crossings. There are currently no other ways around the trains in Elburn.
“If you go through Elburn and watch that gate come down every eight minutes, the town comes to a halt,” Drew Frasz, chairman of the Kane County Board’s Transportation Committee, said Wednesday.
The overpass comes on a section of Anderson Road between Keslinger Road to the south and Route 38 to the north.
The planning and engineering for the project already have been completed. It would provide direct access to the Elburn Metra train station, which was built in 2006.
Kane County will pick up about $3 million of the $22 million tab. The rest will be funded through federal, state and municipal money.
Kane County Deputy Director of the Transportation Department Tom Rickert said that some of the county’s $3 million portion will be covered by developer impact fees.
Elburn will also take over the infrastructure and will be responsible for maintaining it, Rickert said.
