Frequently Asked Questions
When will Pulaski Road be under construction?
The Phase I study is anticipated to be completed in 2025, followed by Phase II Engineering (detailed design) and right-of-way acquisition. The timing of construction will be dependent on plan readiness, land acquisition status and funding availability. Due to the size of the project, detailed design and construction may need to be broken up into 2 - 3 separate contracts. The earliest DoTH anticipates construction beginning is 2027.
Can this project provide a signal and crosswalk at 146th Street?
Sidewalks and/or shared-use paths are planned throughout the corridor limits. Analysis of this location determined that conditions to warrant a traffic signal are not met, and installation of a signal would have negative operational impacts on the corridor. The proposed design will instead support use of the protected intersection crossings at 145th and 147th Streets, with enhancements including pedestrian push-down counters, high visibility pavement markings, and ADA ramps.
Will this require acquisition of private property?
The project is working toward a proposed design alternative. When the recommendation is completed, the project team will better understand the potential property impacts, including acquisition. Before the next public meeting, all of those with properties who will be impacted will be notified, and there will be a project team representative at the next meeting to discuss individual concerns. The project team’s goal is to minimize impacts to property, including any significant impacts, such as full property acquisitions or relocations. Property impacts, including land acquisition and temporary easements, will be required to accommodate sidewalks or shared-use paths, grading and drainage; however, these are generally limited areas near the roadway and are not expected to significantly impact property owners.
How will parking be impacted throughout the corridor?
The alternatives shown during the public meeting are high-level concepts based on the corridor, traffic, and community needs. The prepared alternatives generally utilize standard dimensions from IDOT and CCDOTH design criteria to represent typical offsets and widths for lanes, sidewalks, and shared-use paths. The project team is aware that the improvements, as shown, will impact parking in certain areas of the corridor, specifically around the 147th Street intersection in downtown Midlothian and will need further evaluation to ensure the needs of the Village and community are met.
During the next stage of the study, the project team will continue to coordinate and develop more detailed designs which look into these areas specifically, taking into consideration safety, drainage, right-of-way impacts, and other needs. The project team will coordinate with the local municipalities and community representatives to develop a safe alternative that considers input from the community.
What are the impacts of the Cal-Sag Channel Bridge being a historic structure, and what will the environmental impacts be of reconstruction or modification?
The Pulaski Road Bridge over the Cal-Sag Channel was originally constructed in 1931; it has been identified as a unique Parker-style truss bridge and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It qualifies as a historic resource protected under federal law (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966). Any removal or modification of the bridge must be coordinated through the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and completed in alignment with historic preservation guidelines.
The environmental impact on the bridge will depend on the alternative chosen and feedback received from the SHPO. The project team conducted early coordination with the SHPO, and their initial preferred approach is to repair or rehabilitate the bridge. If repair/rehabilitation is our selected alternative, the work must be done in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. They have also advised that any plan to remove and replace the bridge would result in an Adverse Effect to the bridge, which would require further coordination and preparation of a detailed Section 106 report.
Due to the additional coordination requirements with the SHPO and recent repairs to the bridge, the Study Team is not recommending any modifications or reconstruction to the historic structure at this time. The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways will review any modifications or reconstruction of the bridge in a later effort.
How will the study address drainage issues?
The project will include modernization of the entire roadway drainage system, which will address local drainage needs and minimize flooding due to roadway runoff. Regional flooding issues, such as those along Natalie Creek, are outside of the scope of this project.
What is being done to address the pavement condition along Pulaski/Crawford?
This project is developing a long-term solution to reconstruct the roadway. In advance of the full reconstruction, Cook County will perform full depth concrete patching at locations with greatest pavement distress as part of an upcoming pavement preservation contract, anticipated to start in 2024. This will provide a temporary improvement until the larger reconstruction can occur.
Will the project consider curbed medians with landscaping?
There are no locations along the corridor where landscaped medians are anticipated. Painted, flush medians will replace existing mountable medians in order to allow for turning access to the many driveways and cross streets along the corridor.
Opportunities for landscaped parkway improvements along the roadway edges will be identified and implemented where appropriate. Landscaping opportunities have long term cost and maintenance considerations; therefore, they are closely coordinated with the local municipality during design.
Will the improvements to Pulaski Road cause additional noise?
The project will not change the alignment of the roadway or construct additional travel lanes through the corridor; therefore, additional noise is not anticipated and a noise study is not required. The improved pavement conditions may provide a minor reduction in traffic-related noise.
How is the amount of truck traffic going to impact the study?
Current and future truck volumes were not specifically analyzed during the existing conditions review. While this corridor is not a designated truck route, it does provide access and connectivity to many industrial properties. As an arterials road, the corridor improvements will be designed to ensure trucks can move through the corridor safely.
Why is traffic expected to increase by 2050?
Regional traffic and population growth levels are estimated by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Our team worked with them to determine what the specific level of traffic growth, or change, is expected to be along this corridor. There were undeveloped areas along the corridor and the growth projections account for traffic which could be generated from development of those areas. The project improvements will address traffic needs for the life of the infrastructure.
What additional elements will the study address?
The project will analyze the existing conditions, develop proposed alternatives for consideration and determine a single preferred alternative. During this process, the project will also assess the current and future traffic volumes, including trucks. The process will ensure all vehicles can move through safely, assess the proposed improvements for noise impacts, and evaluate opportunities for beautification, such as landscaped medians.
