Between Frontenac Road and Weston Ridge Drive
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Current Status
Purpose
Background
Project Description
Public Involvement
Current Status
The City Council and the Transportation Advisory Board approved the south alignment for the proposed improvements to North Aurora Road in September/October 2009. Work has started on further refinement of the preliminary roadway design.
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to conduct a preliminary engineering study for widening North Aurora Road from Frontenac Road to Weston Ridge Drive from 3 lanes to 5 lanes. The installation of pedestrian facilities, bicycle connections, access consolidation, and stormwater detention will also be evaluated as part of this study.
Background
North Aurora Road is a minor arterial road with an average daily traffic of approximately 22,000 vehicles. It functions as a primary connection between the Cities of Naperville and Aurora as well as providing access to numerous businesses and subdivisions. The section of North Aurora Road between Frontenac Drive and Weston Ridge Drive is the only remaining section of this road with a single lane for each direction for several miles on either side, creating a bottleneck condition.
The existing traffic exceeds the capacity of the current roadway. Over the next 20 years, traffic volume is expected to reach nearly 30,000 vehicles per day. In order meet the traffic demand and match the adjacent pavement cross section, the widening of this road will be evaluated.
Note that improvements to the EJ&E Railroad underpass immediately to the west are being studied as a separate project.
Project Description
The proposed improvements to the North Aurora Road between Frontenac Drive and Weston Ridge Drive consists of widening the existing 3 lane road to accommodate two vehicular traffic lanes in each direction with a center turn lane (5 lanes in total), a pedestrian sidewalk, bicycle accommodations, and drainage enhancements.
The preliminary engineering study will evaluate different alternatives/ alignments to accomplish these improvements. Specifically, the study will assess potential impacts to the environment, access points, right-of-way needs, highway geometric constraints, drainage considerations, and soil conditions. At the end of the study, cost estimates will be developed for each scenario and a preferred alternative will be selected.
Public Involvement
Focus Group Meetings
At the beginning of the study (October 2008), staff and the project consultant conducted separate focus group meetings with the businesses and the residents along North Aurora Road. The purpose of these meetings was to introduce the project and obtain input on the needs and concerns along the corridor. Eight residents and representatives from four local businesses participated in these meetings.
Online Survey
An online survey was also conducted as part of the initial public input process through the City of Naperville’s project webpage. The City received 145 survey responses from residents, commuters and local businesses. The results of this survey are presented below as exhibit A:
Public Open House
The Cities of Naperville, Aurora and Naperville Township hosted a public open house on April 23, 2009 to obtain community input on two proposed projects:
- Preliminary alignments for roadway widening and improvements on North Aurora Road between Frontenac Road and Weston Ridge Drive (just west of Illinois Route 59).
- The recommended alignment for the widening and improvement of the North Aurora Road underpass at the EJ&E/CN railroad tracks.
Following is the information and exhibits that were presented during the open house:
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