Public invited to provide input on Illinois 173 project in Boone County on May 21

DIXON – The Illinois Department of Transportation will host a public meeting for proposed improvements to Illinois 173 in Boone County on Wednesday, May 21. The event will be from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Capron Lions Community Building, 305 E. North St., Capron.

This meeting will be held in an open house format with no formal presentation. The public is invited to attend at any time during the hours listed to view informational displays, speak with project representatives, ask questions, and share feedback.

IDOT is currently conducting a Phase I preliminary engineering and environmental study for the improvement of Illinois 173 in Boone County. The study limits include more than 8 miles of Illinois 173 beginning 0.4 miles west of the Village of Poplar Grove and extending east to Boone-McHenry County Line Road.

The study involves improvements to the aging pavement of Illinois 173, including:

The project also includes drainage, culvert and safety improvements as needed. Pedestrian, Americans with Disabilities Act and bicycle accommodations will also be considered per IDOT’s Complete Streets policy.

The proposed project would involve use of land from the Boone County Conservation District at the Tuttle Clarkson Natural Area and Long Prairie Trail. The proposed improvements are not expected to affect the activities, features or attributes that make the properties eligble for Section 4(f) protection. Through publication of this notice, the Department is requesting the public’s views on the proposed use of parkland, and on FHWA’s intent to make a Section 4(f) de minimus determination.

Meeting materials will be posted to the project website following the open house. Comments and questions are encouraged and can be submitted anytime through the website at https://idot.click/il173boone.

Comments may also be mailed to:

Illinois Department of Transportation

District 2

819 Depot Ave.

Dixon, IL 61021

Attn: Traci Duden 64J42

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,000 miles of highway and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Five of Rebuild Illinois include approximately $16 billion of improvements statewide on 6,541 miles of highway, 686 bridges and 986 additional safety improvements.

For IDOT District 2 updates, follow us on X at @IDOTDistrict2 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.