Residents Oppose Longmeadow Parkway; Algonquin Officials Stand Behind Project

Around 100 people showed up to an Algonquin Village Board meeting this past week with 15 of them speaking in opposition to long-planned improvements to Longmeadow Parkway, which include a four-lane bridge over the Fox River, the Daily Herald reports.

The project was on the village board agenda as a discussion item and Village President John Schmitt said the village, which has invested $3 million into the project so far, continues to be in support of the improvements, according to the article.

“We are going to work with Kane County to make sure that this critical infrastructure improvement is built,” said Village President John Schmitt. “That’s not up for question. This board is completely solid behind this project.”

The proposed 5.6-mile stretch of four-lane roadway is slated to run through Algonquin, Carpentersville and Barrington Hills and is meant to alleviate traffic congestion in northern Kane County.

Residents raised concerns over safety and raised questions over berms being placed along the roadway to serve as a barrier for homes, according to the Daily Herald.

Last month, the village board in Barrington Hills, which formerly was among 10 communities that supported the project, denounced it saying it would harm its residents and cause financial burden for taxpayers, the Daily Herald reports.