Township Wants to Ensure Plainfield Doesn't Get Left in I-55 Ramp Dust

Plainfield Township trustees are on board with plans that might bring a new Interstate 55 ramp curving through the back yard of town hall near Airport Road. 

But they want to make sure an interstate exit at Airport Road – otherwise known as Lockport Street east of I-55 - doesn’t dump even more traffic into infamously congested downtown Plainfield.  

Township officials Wednesday night unanimously passed a resolution putting on the record two critical reservations they have about the $2.6 million interchange project presented in February at a public information meeting.  

The township wants to make sure that Romeoville interests in the Airport Road interchange don’t trump the Route 126 off-ramp. 

“This has probably been a project that’s over 10 years (in the making),” Romeoville Mayor John Noak said at the meeting, adding that Bolingbrook and Romeoville have taken the lead in working with llinois Department of Transportation to move it along. 

The Plainfield Township resolution also highlights the importance of protecting the historic neighborhoods of Lockport Street from further traffic woes from future I-55 exits at Airport Road and Route 126. 

“The Airport Road interchange will direct all that traffic through downtown Plainfield,” township Trustee Tony Fremarek said. 

“That will cause a further burden for Plainfield,” he said. “There will be traffic enforcement problems, for example.” 

There is a solution that Plainfield officials have bandied about for years. Township Supervisor John Argoudelis listed it at the top of his wish list for accomplishments of 2011. 

Widening 143rd Street to four lanes and extending it from Route 126 through to Route 59 can divert motorists north of downtown Plainfield. Plainfield leaders want to fold cash for the 143rd Street extension into the $2.6 million federal government funding package. 

“We need to wrap it all into that figure,” Fremarek said.