Proposal to Close Oak and/or Arnold Streets at Rt. 59 Under Consideration

For reasons of traffic safety, Plainfield public works staff is asking for permission to permanently close either Arnold Street or Oak Street at the point at which they intersect with Route 59.

The proposal was presented to the Plainfield Village Board Monday night, where Public Works Director Allen Persons asked trustees for their opinions on the idea.

Both streets intersect with Route 59 at 45-degree angles, making it almost impossible for drivers to make a left-hand turn across what will be by late July a completed four-lane roadway. Beyond that, Persons said, the two intersections are very close together and not far from downtown.

On the positive side, there are no homes on either of the one-block streets and were either closed, the property would revert to the landowners whose property abuts it, he said. On the negative, it will disrupt traffic patterns in the neighborhood and may impede future development plans on Route 59, he said.

Both roadways are a short distance from the Walgreens at Route 59 and Main Street/Route 126 and near the village’s war memorial.

“(These roads) don’t receive a tremendous amount of traffic,” Persons said. “The board could opt to close one street or close the other street or close both streets or none of them.”

Trustee Bill Lamb said it would make more sense to close Arnold, which ends at Main Street/Route 126, than Oak.

“Oak goes some place, Arnold does not,” he said. “It’s an alternative to Route 126, and it intersects with Des Plaines Street … and Illinois Street.”

But Trustee Paul Fay countered that he could see no reason to limit traffic into and out of the neighborhood, especially given that neither Oak nor Arnold is that heavily used.

“I think we should leave both as they are,” he said.

Ultimately, it was agreed that the board would hear input from property owners in the area before making any decision. Persons said a flier would be delivered to every nearby home asking residents to voice their opinions at the June 20 board meeting.

The desire, he said, is to have a decision made in time for the village to tell the Illinois Department of Transportation whether it should establish curb cuts for the streets or pour a curb extension that essentially closes the street or streets off.