Oswego area government leaders break ground on first phase of $64M Wolf’s Crossing Road improvement project

OSWEGO – Village officials, joined by other area, state and federal government leaders, broke ground Monday morning, April 3, on the first phase of the long-planned widening of Wolf’s Crossing Road in the village.

With ceremonial gold-painted shovels in hand, the officials moved the first dirt for the project at the intersection of Wolf’s Crossing Road and Devoe Drive near Oswego East High School.

The project includes the widening of Wolf’s Crossing Road to four lanes from east of the entrance to Oswego East High School to east of Devoe Drive along with the construction of a two lane roundabout at the intersection of Wolf’s Crossing and Harvey roads.

The project will cost $10.2 million, and is the first of a 10-segment, $64 million plan to rebuild and widen Wolf’s Crossing Road between Route 34 in Oswego and Eola Road in Aurora.

Village President Troy Parlier spoke first at the ceremony, saying the project will bring safety to the community and provide a new frontier for economic expansion.

Village Public Works Director Jennifer Hughes said the first phase will be completed in two parts, starting with the Devoe Drive intersection and widening Wolf’s Crossing Road west to Harvey Road, followed by the construction of the roundabout.

Hughes said the goal is to complete the first phase by the end of the current school year, and the second by Thanksgiving this fall.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, also spoke, calling the groundbreaking a moment to celebrate. Underwood emphasized that state and federal funding will cover nearly half of the cost for project’s first phase.

Also in attendance were former Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder, now a representative from State Sen. Sue Rezin’s office, along with representatives of the Oswego SD308, Oswegoland Park District, Oswego Township and Kendall County Board. Village trustees Kit Kuhrt, James Marter II, and Terry Olson were also at the event.

After the first shovels of dirt were tossed, Parlier said it was a huge day for Oswego, and the result of non-stop work by the Village Board for the last four years.

“It’s just an incredible thing to get this going,” Parlier said. “We’ve had the dog park and Venue 1012 (open); they’re smaller items, but this is generational.”