The Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor near Algonquin officially opened to traffic on Thursday after 30 years in the making, including eight years for construction.
A ribbon-cutting celebration was held Thursday morning just before the 5.6-mile road opened to traffic Thursday afternoon.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and McHenry County and Kane County officials attended the event to celebrate the completion of the $205 million project, which began construction in 2016.
The new bridge carries commuters over the Fox River and stretches from Huntley Road to Route 62 in the northern section of Kane County, which touches parts of Algonquin, Barrington Hills and Carpentersville.
“Since my first day in office, rebuilding our infrastructure has been among my top priorities,” Pritzker said.
“With the completion of work on the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor, we are not only modernizing a key stretch of roadway to improve the safety capacity, and efficiency of this corridor, we are saving Illinoisans time and money. All across Illinois, projects just like this one are helping revitalize our communities, unleash our economic potential, and make life better for our residents,” Pritzker said.
The project used federal, state and local funds for preliminary engineering and land acquisition. The design engineering was funded with county funds.
The construction costs were also paid for with federal, state and local funds.
Officials say the Longmeadow Parkway project will support a projected 50,000 new jobs by 2040 and generate potentially $500 million of business sales, resulting in sales tax revenue to help local schools and other taxing bodies.
Kane County initially planned to pay for the bridge construction with tolls but after pushback from residents, the Illinois General Assembly allocated an additional $30 million in funding to cover the cost of construction.
The county was able to complete the remainder of the bridge without charging its users and the toll signs were removed in May.
“With the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge corridor, we’re not just building a bridge over the Fox River; we’re creating a vital artery that connects our communities, enhances regional mobility, and drives economic growth,” said Kane County Board Chairman Corinne Pierog.
“This project transforms a barrier into a pathway of opportunity and progress for all who travel through our county,” Pierog said.
McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler said the completion of the bridge and the elimination of its proposed toll are “shining examples of how government is meant to work- the federal, state, and local governments, Democrats and Republicans all coming together to improve transportation and save our shared taxpayers’ money.”
“McHenry County couldn’t be prouder to help fund this project and see the bridge officially opened,” Buehler said.
Algonquin Mayor Debby Sosine said it took collaboration from 11 villages, three counties, the state and the federal government to complete the project.
“After 30 years of planning, engineering, pulling the funding together and building the road it is finally coming to completion. From Rt 62 on the East and Huntley Road to the West- we’ve finally finished the last portion of the roadway and Longmeadow Parkway will be completely open,” Sosine said.