Highway 11 Getting a Face Lift; Residents See Plans at Meeting

Durand Avenue is slated for complete reconstruction in 2016, giving a two-mile stretch of the highway a new look that will also be more functional.

A at Village Hall gave residents from both and Mount Pleasant the chance to review plans and ask questions. Most citizens, residents and business owners, were concerned with how much frontage land they'll have to surrender.

Kathy Small lives on Durand Avenue in Mount Pleasant. She said she came to the meeting to get information.

"I'm definitely interested," she said. "But I want to know how much frontage they'll take."

Saying plans are still very much in the design phase, Roy Stollenwerk, lead consultant from OTIE Engineering, said the answer depends on the stretch of road.

"The right-of-way kind of meanders, but a good average is probably 10 to 25 feet," he said. Using the parcels just west of Cozy Acres, Stollenwerk said even with widening and adding bike lanes and sidewalks, the south side of the street should stay relatively intact while the north side of the street could require 10 feet.

Afhvin Shah owns and operates the at the corner of 90th Street and Durand Avenue in Sturtevant. He said the plans for that intersection, like introducing designated left-turn lanes, could put him out of business.

"The new road would come right up to the pumps," he said. "That can't work."

But Stollenwerk said they are looking at fitting the road design to avoid the pumps.

Turn lanes will be added to the intersection of Cottage Drive, preventing commercial truck traffic traveling east from turning into Korndoerfer Development. Most likely, that traffic will be forced north onto Cottage Drive and through the back drive to the company.

Ruth Vilmann, Mount Pleasant, is concerned because some of her property on Cottage Drive will be needed to upgrade the road to accommodate the heavier vehicles. Carl Korndoerfer hopes the DOT can utilize island cuts to allow trucks to enter the turn lane but go directly to the company.

"We have over 20 trucks a day coming in and out of there," he said. "I've seen island cuts used elsewhere, like on 21st Street for InSinkerator."

Overall, though, Korndoerfer said improving Highway 11 is a good idea, and Daniel Neiman agrees.

"Durand Avenue is not really safe in some places and this project will give everyone some breathing room," Neiman said.

Construction on Durand Avenue will begin in 2016. In 2015, however, the DOT will build a new bridge for the Union Pacific Railway. That same year, the DOT and the Village of Sturtevant will turn Willow Road into a cul de sac, and redirect existing Willow Road to connect with 84th Street where it leads into Cobble Court. From there, Willow Road will be extended south of Highway 11 on the east side of .