(The following story by Susan Demar Lafferty appeared on the Southtown Star website on May 27, 2009.)
CHICAGO — Safer roads and rail crossings will be coming to the Mokena and Frankfort area this year.
The neighboring villages will work with state agencies to improve the rail crossing at 116th Avenue and to install street lights along U.S. 30 and Wolf Road.
Federal stimulus dollars will provide $260,000, covering more than half the $425,000 cost for new street lights along the U.S. 30/Wolf retail district, where the intersection is being widened.
Frankfort’s share is $106,000, and Mokena’s is $59,000. Mokena officials approved an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation on Tuesday, and Frankfort officials are expected to take action in the near future.
As part of its Crossing Safety Improvement Program, the Illinois Commerce Commission will install automatic flashing lights, signals and gates at 116th Avenue where none exist. The ICC will pay 90 percent of that cost, or $185,500. Frankfort and Mokena each will pay $5,100, and the EJ&E/Canadian National Railway will pay 5 percent, or $10,300.
The two towns also will share the cost of improving the roadway approaches to the rail crossing and install curbs, gutters, a 5-foot sidewalk, a 10-foot pedestrian path and pedestrian gates. Mokena trustees approved the agreement Tuesday, and Frankfort is expected to take action Monday.
The crossing then will qualify for a quiet zone. CN is increasing freight traffic along the line, which abuts subdivisions on both sides of the tracks. Mokena village administrator John Downs said the quiet zone study may not be completed until 2011, but improvements to the crossing need to be done now.
Mokena will receive an additional $300,000 from CN to provide sound and visual buffering for its neighboring residents. The initial deal with CN called for $150,000 for the planting of trees and shrubs and the construction of an eight-foot berm along the north side of the tracks from 116th Avenue to Mokena’s western border. Since it was determined that it is not feasible to build the berm, CN offered to give the village the cash equivalent, or $300,000.
Assistant village administrator Kirk Zoellner said this gives the village greater flexibility in providing screening, and residents also seemed to favor trees and shrubs instead of a berm.