State Wrong About Western Springs Money

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – The state Department of Transportation recently included Western Springs in its list of transportation projects for next year. But the agency admitted late last week that it was mistaken.

The list showed $1.1 million was earmarked for pedestrian walkways and streetscaping in Western Springs, information that was touted in a news release by state Sen. John Curran, R-Woodridge. It was part of billions of dollars in planned projects.

But the village told Patch that it was unsure what the money was for specifically. Patch asked the Department of Transportation.

In response, department spokeswoman Maria Castaneda said the Western Springs item was a misprint. It was an entry in 2008 related to a pedestrian underpass that was bid out in June 2020, she said in an email.

She said Patch would need to check with the village on the status of the work. Patch has reported on the project repeatedly. It is largely done, with the village planning another improvement to further improve safety.

According to the state Department of Transportation, the original study for the project was placed on hold by the village in the early 1990s. When the work restarted in 2018, a new section number – how the state tracks projects – was created for construction and the money was included in what was seen as a new project, the state said.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention," Castaneda told Patch. "The department will work with the Village to close the project entry and avoid any further confusion."