BELOIT DAILY NEWS
January 31, 2001

Road takes detour Alternatives to Perryville plans urged By Ann Tastad Daily News staff writer ROSCOE _ Charlie Hollerith has heard his constituents and hopes to guide Winnebago County toward an alternative to Perryville Road extension plans. Hollerith, along with fellow District 2 county board member Larry Bauer, informed board Chairman Kris Cohn Tuesday they do not support expanding Perryville Road if the people affected by the road expansion do not support it. ``It does not appear to be in anyone's best interest to support this four-lane expansion,'' Hollerith said. Hollerith said there are solutions to what the county perceives as a traffic flow problem through the northern portion of the county, but he does not think the solution should cost those living east of Roscoe their tranquil living conditions. Hollerith's proposal received a standing ovation from the nearly 1,000 people who packed into Roscoe Middle School Tuesday for a public question-and-answer session with county officials on the proposed extension of Perryville Road. Specifically, Hollerith proposed /b Widening Route 251 to six lanes between Route 173 and Route 75. /b Widening Interstate 90 to six lanes from Rockford through Beloit. /b Extending a two-lane Perryville Road from Route 173 to Belvidere Road and improve Mitchell Road from Route 173 to Belvidere Road. /b Improving existing Willowbrook Road from Elevator Road to the state line with a possible third lane. /b Constructing an additional access to I-90 at Belvidere Road. /b Expanding Bell School Road in Rockford to four lanes. The benefits from such expansions are numerous, according to Hollerith. Improving Route 251 and Interstate 90 would be the job of the Illinois Department of Transportation, therefore lessening the burden on local taxpayers as the sole supporters of the county's Perryville Road expansion. Also, IDOT is responsible for maintenance of the state highways. Eliminating the nine-mile extension of Perryville Road would reduce the burden on the county's highway department. Also, Hollerith said putting a 15-cent toll at the proposed Belvidere Road exit at I-90 would help offset the cost of construction. Discussion of expanding Perryville Road has raised several concerns around the Roscoe area lately even though an exact route has yet to pinpointed by the county board. So far, engineer Joe Vanderwerff has proposed five possible alignments to run between Belvidere and Prairie Hill roads. One of the alignments, (2A on the county's map) which curves east through the Kinnikinnick Wetlands and around Roscoe Middle School, is the current choice of county board members. At least two of the alignments west of the middle school would include the demolition of 10 homes and one church in Roscoe. One of the alignments also runs through land designated for a cemetery in Roscoe Township. The expansion of Perryville Road is expected to cost up to $34 million. County board members have given the OK for the county to start purchasing the rights of way for the project, but Hollerith said Tuesday that does not mean the project is a done deal. ``It's the 28 board members who vote on issues, not Kris Cohn. She only votes in the case of a tie,'' Hollerith said. Along with Hollerith and Bauer, several county board members attended the meeting. While most remained silent throughout the question-and-answer session, at least two spoke out against the road. Polly Berg, who represents northwestern Rockford and Owen Township, told the crowd she's asked the county's Public Works Committee to look into putting a referendum question about Perryville Road on an upcoming ballot. The committee has not met since Berg's request, according to Public Works Committee Chairman John Sweeney. Also, Pete MacKay, who represents the southern portion of the county, said those living in southern Winnebago County do not support the expansion of Perryville Road. ``This extension would be a monstrous waste of money,'' MacKay said. Questions asked Tuesday were overshadowed by Hollerith's proposal for improving current roads, which he made toward to the end of the evening. Questions raised earlier in the night included how the proposed expansion of Perryville Road will be paid for, how long the expansion of the road has been in the county's plan, and how the environment will be effected if the road is built. Cohn said the five alignments along with all the questions asked by the public will be forwarded on to the Public Works Committee, which will then come up with a recommendation for the entire county board. If the project remains on schedule, Cohn expects county board members to hear a presentation from the Public Works Committee in the spring. Until then, Hollerith said he plans to lobby for improving existing roads. He urged those attending Tuesday's meeting to contact their local state representatives and push for improving Route 251 and I-90. ``Tell them you want the improvements sooner rather than later,'' Hollerith said. The Village of Roscoe has set a committee meeting to discuss the village's position on the Perryville Road project at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the village hall. Click Here to return to Today's news headlines