This is money well spent!!

Area officials OK new beltline study

Bypass would bring industry, jobs here

BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Talk about the beltline resurfaced Thursday at a Danville Area Transportation Study meeting at the Tilton Village Hall.

Vermilion County Highway Engineer Bob Andrews asked that a beltline necessity discussion and consensus vote be put on the agenda following a meeting with city officials last week.

“It’s not a (metropolitan planning organization) study,” DATS Director Adam Aull said.

But Andrews said having all the stakeholders’ concerns voiced, and making sure everyone is aware and keeps updated on the study, is important to keep it going.

Andrews said the consensus wasn’t to approve anything, but to show the Federal Highway Administration that the Metropolitan Planning Organization overseeing transportation issues in the area supports the beltline study.

Aull said the beltline remains in DATS’ long-range plans.

The DATS policy committee voted 3-2 to support continued study discussion.

Tilton and Georgetown mayors Dave Phillips and Darrell Acord, respectively, voted against the study’s necessity, while Vermilion County Board Chairman Jim McMahon, executive assistant to the mayor Theresa Brazelton serving as proxy for Mayor Scott Eisenhauer and Illinois Department of Transportation Program Development Engineer Dennis Markwell voted in favor of it.

“We need economic growth here. We need some jobs,” McMahon said.

The beltline aims to promote industrial and job growth and tie in with existing rail, road and airport infrastructure.

“I can’t see any growth from this,” Phillips said.

Andrews said the purpose and need statements for the beltline have been finalized with the FHWA. Now environmental assessments must be completed. The last city council vote on the beltline occurred in November 2006.

Aldermen approved an agreement to increase the consultant’s costs for additional environmental and property study services for the Danville Beltline Study with Hanson Engineers of Springfield. State funding that’s earmarked for this study will pay for the total $942,270. The engineers were to go back to update environmental studies and property line and property owner information from 10 years ago.

Also in November 2006, there was an informational meeting for residents to learn more about the proposed eastside bypass to improve traffic flow and open up more industrial development sites. Some residents are concerned about its need and potential to hurt existing businesses, the impacts on their properties and increased noise and traffic.

The exact location of the approximately 300-foot corridor beltline hasn’t been determined.

The proposed route runs from West Newell Road, hooking south on Bowman Avenue, going east on Poland Road and then turning south through farm fields, east of the railroad tracks east of the airport and hooking up with Interstate 74 and Perrysville Road.

It would stretch south between Daisy Lane and Brewer Road.

Engineers determined there was no need to tie it in with southern Illinois Route 1 because of expected light traffic on the southern section.

The Federal Highway Administration approved construction of a new Interstate 74 interchange between the Bowman and Lynch Road exits three years ago.

The city hired Hanson Engineers in 1999 to study the feasibility of creating a highway that would bypass the city on the eastside to connect I-74 with Illinois Route 1 north of Danville.

Jim Moll, the lead project engineer with Hanson Engineers of Springfield, has said $200,000 to $300,000 in grant money already has been spent for the study. About $400,000 to $500,000 more is needed to finish it.

An environmental assessment process will determine where to build the road. Elevations, lanes of roadway and other details must be determined prior to land acquisition.

The beltline is at least eight years away, and that’s if funding is available.