Residents Sound Off on New Western Bypass in Algonquin

Algonquin residents have a lot to say about the newly-opened Western Bypass.

The main purpose of the Western Bypass was to help alleviate traffic woes caused by congestion at Route 31 and Route 62 in the downtown area. The new four-lane two-mile stretch of roadway bypasses downtown Algonquin and opened in September.

One blogger on Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch bemoaned the bypass for not alleviating issues for those traveling east and west on Route 62.

“While movement will [speed up] for those coming from the north and desiring to head west on 62, or continue south on 31, this does nothing (maybe it did on paper, but not in reality) for the mile long jam ups [east and west] on 62,” he wrote.

In response to this blog, several Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch Facebook users sounded off on the new Western Bypass. Here is what they had to say:

• “I never could understand the reasoning behind this one. What they really need is another bridge to get people across the Fox.” - Pam Berube Ulen
• “Love this bypass and I NEVER drive on it. I love it for what it did to the traffic pattern on Rt 62. I live on the east side of Algonquin and have always struggled to get to Randall Rd between the hours of 4 and 7 pm. It could take me up to 20 minutes to go the 4 miles across the river and up to Randall. Now, I leave my subdivision during those same times and have green lights all the way to Pyott! The lights are timed much better now. I’m to Randall Road in under 5 minutes. The bypass works because the lights stay green longer on 62 so traffic flows better! Amen for engineers who figured this out.” - Jennifer Fehlig Reilly
• “Waste of money. Traffic signals by the post office just back up traffic on 62 even more than before.” - Sheila Siarkiewicz
• “I was leaving my house at 5:00 and it would easily take me 30 minutes to get from Sandbloom to Randall, now that time is cut in half. I am no longer avoiding 62 at 5 p.m.” - Susan Haynes-Reeves
• “We did not need an engineer degree to figure out that we really needed traffic to move better east and west not the bypass they built.” - Janiese Potempa Poole
• “As someone who used to sit in traffic every day back and forth across 31 on 62 this is a blessing. It will not by itself eliminate all traffic but it definitely helps in making things move quicker by giving people different avenues depending on which direction they are going. Where would you suggest they add another bridge across the Fox? Or have you all not noticed that there are homes on the waterfront all the way North and South of 62.” - Chris Wilkins
• “That bypass saves me 30 minutes a day. Of course during rush hour it may get backed up a bit, but nothing like it was before. Heading west, on my way home, Algonquin used to be backed up to 25 between 4:30 and 6:30 PM and now there is little to no traffic which makes me happy. Worth every penny!” - Lindsay Randle Alberts
• “Algonquin has an east/west problem... Not a north/south problem. Big waste of money. Another bridge connected to Miller Rd coming from 62 somewhere might help.” - Chris Hagen

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