Scope of the project
The Access
Highland study focused on improving Interstate 70 access for
the Highland region. Location and details of the project
design were determined during the preliminary engineering
study as part of the engineering and environmental analysis,
along with input received during the Context Sensitive
Solutions (CSS) process.
Preliminary engineering included an
Access Justification Report. Projects that propose revisions
to Interstate access require an Access Justification Report
(AJR), which is submitted for approval to the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA). An Access Justification
Report studied the I-70 corridor from the I-70 & Illinois
Route 143 interchange to the I-70 and US Highway 40
interchange. Among the items included in the report was the
need for the access revision; reasonable alternatives and
one recommended alternative; operational traffic, safety and
crash analyses; adjacent land use and coordination with the
access point; impact to the transportation network;
compatibility with the regional transportation plans; and
the environmental/social impacts of the access change.
Using
the Context Sensitive Solutions process, and engineering and
environmental criteria provided by IDOT and FHWA, a
recommended alternative was presented in an Access
Justification Report for FHWA review. The Access
Justification Report presented by the department in the fall
of 2012 was not approved. Because the recommended
alternative for the Access Highland project was not approved
by the FHWA and due to lack of public support for other
alternative improvements presented to the public as part of
the engineering and environmental study, this study and the
Access Highland Project has been suspended by the
department.
Project Development Process
This project was suspended
during Phase I. Phase I is the preliminary engineering
phase. During this phase, data collection, engineering and
environmental analyses is performed on the alternatives
developed in order to select a preferred alternate. A
project report and an environmental study are developed that
document this process. Because the Access Highland study
would have affected access to Interstate 70, FHWA would have
had to approve the Access Justification Report before Phase
I design of the project could have been completed. The Phase
I project report and environmental study could have only
been completed after FHWA approval. Phase I generally takes
approximately 36 months, depending on the length of time
required for FHWA review and approval.
Generally, Phase II
is where plans, specifications, and estimates are prepared
so that the project can be placed on a letting for
construction by a contractor. The plans are then prepared in
accordance with the approved Phase I project report.
Negotiation with property owners for the purchase of any
needed right of way and easements would have occurred during
this phase. This phase takes approximately 18 to 24 months.
Phase III is the actual construction of the project using
the plans developed in Phase II. This phase takes
approximately 24 to 36 months, depending on the type of
improvement being constructed.
Context Sensitive Solutions
The
concept of context sensitive solutions (CSS) has been evolving
in the transportation industry since the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 required transportation agencies to address
project stakeholders and consider the possible effects of
transportation projects on the environment. It has since evolved
into a policy in Illinois that provides an interdisciplinary
approach to projects that seeks effective, multi-modal
transportation solutions by working with stakeholders to
develop, build and maintain cost effective transportation
facilities which fit into the project's surroundings - its
context. A stakeholder is someone who could be affected by the
project and has a "stake" in the success or failure of the
project. A Citizen Advisory Group, or CAG, will be formed for
the project. The CAG is a group of stakeholders that provide
input and response to ideas and focus the views, concerns and
values of the communities.
For the Access Highland study, an initial list of stakeholders was created by the study team, based on a review of the region and its existing organizations. The initial list included
- municipalities/villages in the study region (which includes known potentially affected property owners)
- emergency response/fire & rescue/police personnel
- school district
- chamber of commerce
- recreation center/bicycle advocates
- transit organization(s)
IDOT met with stakeholders to gather input, inquire about other interested stakeholders and establish communication between any interested organizations and individuals. Click
here for Access Highland stakeholder meeting minutes.
Public Meetings
were held to allow everyone a chance to review the
project data in person and to discuss the project
with the study team. Past Public Meeting exhibits
were also posted on the Access Highland web-site for
review and comment and are
still available to view on this website. Data
gathered from stakeholders at public meetings and
elsewhere becomes part of the study document and is
used by the study team to create and analyze
alternatives. Use the PI/Meeting Info tab on this
website to find Public Meeting exhibits and
handouts.
A Community
Advisory Group (CAG) was formed on this project in
order to represent many different points of view
from the region that need to be heard and considered
as the study developed alternatives. A list of the
stakeholders groups represented by CAG members is
available in the Public Meeting #3 exhibits. Use the
PI/Meeting Info tab on this website to find CAG
meeting minutes and handouts .
Input from all
stakeholders from a variety of sources - both
individuals and organizations - is used throughout
the study as the project team develops alternatives.
In addition to stakeholder input the study team
investigates engineering design criteria, crash
analysis, traffic modeling, environmental issues
(both human and biological) and develops
alternatives based on all these factors. The CAG,
Public Meetings and all other stakeholder meetings
are opportunities to discuss the engineering,
environmental and community needs and solutions. The
input helps the project team understand how the
transportation system can best serve the community
as it grows.
For example, early
in the study IDOT heard from a group of concerned
citizens that the existing I-70 interchanges in this
region are valuable to the region and should be left
in place. This input shaped the problem statement
and was included in the AJR documentation that was
submitted to FHWA to show the alternatives that were
studied.
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