Oswego to apply for federal grant to help fund future Wolfs Crossing improvements

Oswego will hire an engineering consultant for help in applying for a federal grant for future improvements to Wolfs Crossing.

At the May 28 Oswego Village Board meeting, village trustees approved an agreement with Chicago-based Alfred Benesch & Company in the amount of $60,401.75.

“They are intimately familiar with this project, having done phase one and the engineering for the segments that have been constructed,” Oswego Public Works Director/Village Engineer Jennifer Hughes said during the meeting. “We think they’re best suited to move forward with this.”

Benesch will provide assistance in preparing an application for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant.

“This nationally competitive federal funding source is discretionary up to 80% of the project cost with a minimum award of $5 million and a maximum cap of $25 million per project,” Hughes said.

She said the 80% federal share of the $82 million necessary to complete the project would leave the village to come up with $16.5 million.

“Our share amounts to approximately three years of revenue in the capital improvement fund,” Harvey said.

In December, the village’s first roundabout opened at Wolfs Crossing and Harvey Road as part of the first segment of the Wolfs Crossing improvement project.

The village’s portion of Wolfs Crossing spans from east of Route 30 to its junction at Routes 34 and 71, about 4.5 miles. The expansion project will be completed in segments.

The second segment of the project will be improvements at Wolfs Crossing and Douglas Road.

The roundabout at Wolfs Crossing and Harvey Road in Oswego will be closed through the end of June in order to finish the first segment of the Wolfs Crossing improvement project.

While the roundabout is closed, the contractor will complete the final surface layer as well as do bike path and sidewalk improvements, landscaping and other punch list items.

Wolfs Crossing will be open to local traffic between Devoe Drive and Route 30, east of Harvey Road. Motorists are asked to follow the detour and use caution in the construction zone.

As part of a $10.7 million project to improve safety and ease traffic congestion, Wolfs Crossing was widened to four lanes from Harvey Road to Devoe Drive and the four-way intersection at Wolfs Crossing and Harvey Road was replaced with Oswego’s first roundabout.

A new water main also was installed from Fifth Street to Devoe Drive to improve water pressure on the village’s east side. In 2014, planning began for improvements to Wolfs Crossing through the formation of the Wolf Corridor Advisory Team.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held before the opening of the roundabout in December 2023, Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman stressed the improvements will help make Wolfs Crossing safer.

“The expansion of this road is more than just additional lanes, it’s a promise for a smoother, safer and more efficient travel experience for our residents, businesses and visitors,” he said. “It’s a step toward reducing the time we spend in traffic and increasing the time that we spend with our families and enjoying all the amenities that our amazing town has to offer.”

He added that improved traffic flow will also reduce vehicle emissions, contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.

More information about the project can be found at bit.ly/WolfsCrossing.