Minooka voices concerns over Canadian National hub that could generate heavy truck traffic

The village of Minooka released a statement Friday afternoon voicing its concern over the heavy truck traffic that a Canadian National logistics hub currently in the planning process would bring to the city, although the hub, itself, will be in Channahon.

According to a news release, Minooka residents have been voicing their concerns over the past several months at village board meetings regarding the impact of the intermodal, and the lack of public information surrounding it.

“Village officials have stated, although the project is being built in the village of Channahon corporate limits, Minooka has several concerns regarding CN’s [Canadian National] intent to direct heavy truck traffic generated by the project through Minooka, and utilize I-80 and Ridge Road intersection as a major access point,” according to the release.

The news release lists out facts that relate to the project.

“Wisconsin Central LTD, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian National Railway, is planning on constructing an intermodal facility and a logistics park on approximately 900 acres of land, located within the Village of Channahon in Grundy County, Illinois, but which is also located – in part – within the Minooka unincorporated planning area,” the village said in the release.

“The project is proposed to be located west of McLindon Road, south of the CSX railroad tracks and north of U.S. Route 6, a class II truck route. The project touches Route 6 in a location northeast of the Channahon Fire Stationl,” the village said.

Wisconsin Central is demanding, according to the news release, that Minooka agree to allow a traffic plan that would have two access points, one on McLindon Road and the other on Route 6. Both would be used by trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds.

Wisconsin Central’s proposal would increase the average daily traffic of heavy trucks and passenger vehicles on McLindon Road exponentially, according to the village.

“Minooka did not contemplate the substantial additional truck and passenger vehicle traffic that will be generated by the WCL project. This deluge of traffic would mix more heavy trucks and cars on Ridge Road and would negatively impact multiple intersections in Minooka and the I-80 and Ridge Road interchange, the primary access point to Minooka,” according to the release.

Minooka said it has worked with Wisconsin Central in good faith to develop a traffic plan that meets its needs but not substantially impact the safety and quality of life of Minooka’s residents. The village proposed the facility would have access on Route 6 and an access point for passenger vehicles only on McLindon Road, which it said will protect the safety, health and welfare of Minooka’s residents.

“WCL [Wisconsin Central Limited] has attempted to strong-arm Minooka by threatening to involve a federal preemption under the Interstate Commerce Commission, and advised Minooka that it will attempt to assert federal preemption under the ICCTA [Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995] and force Minooka and its residents to endure the detrimental impacts of substantially increased heavy truck traffic on McLindon Road, the Ridge Road interchange and the Minooka roadways and intersections leading to the Ridge Road interchange,” the village said in the release.

Minooka said it’s not apposed to the project being built in Channahon, but it continues to request local stakeholders support that the sole access for heavy trucks on the project be limited to a Route 6 entrance.

Michael Petrick, Channahon’s assistant village administrator, said Channahon maintains that Minooka has the full rights to act in its own interest and Channahon won’t intervene or try to influence what’s happening in their planning areas.

“This being a regional project, it causes us to take a broader look at some things, but we’re not going to actively get involved whether or not Minooka does or does not allow truck traffic there,” Petrick said.

Petrick said it’s something that needs to be figured out because if there’s no entrance on McLindon Road, those traffic numbers will go elsewhere. He said there are concerns from Channahon’s traffic consultant if McLindon Road doesn’t have access because it’ll drive more traffic to Route 6 and Ridge Road to I-80.

“This isn’t your typical industrial development where the municipality has a lot of control over how and when if it develops,” Petrick said. “We’re all in unfamiliar territory here dealing with a federally preempted entity and knowing just how far their federal rights take them, what that means to us and what we are allowed to say they can do and what they can’t do.”

The village of Minooka filed a lawsuit against Canadian National and Wisconsin Central back in June to enforce already in place weight limits on McLindon Road.

Petrick said there haven’t been any changes to what Canadian National’s plans for the transportation hub look like from the beginning, and he thinks things will move more quickly once the lawsuit between them and Minooka is taken care of.