Randall Road project to receive $8 million in federal funding if Biden signs bill

Plans to widen Randall Road from Crystal Lake to Lake in the Hills is on track to receive $8 million in federal funding as part of the federal appropriations bill passed Wednesday, county officials said Friday.

The $1.5 trillion package also included aid for Ukraine, money for federal agencies, and, according to U.S. House of Representative figures, 2,021 projects worth $2.5 billion for the chamber’s Democrats and 706 worth $1.7 billion for Republicans, the Associated Press reported. It now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth pushed the project’s inclusion in the omnibus legislation, the McHenry County Division of Transportation said in a news release.

“The second phase of our plan to widen and improve Randall Road, one of McHenry County’s most vital transportation and economic corridors, just got an $8 million boost as our nation and state continue to pursue historic investments in our transportation infrastructure,” McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said in a statement, thanking Duckworth and Durbin.

The project will build on the first phase of the Randall Road project, which widened Randall Road between Lake in the Hills and Algonquin and was completed last August.

That phase added lanes, two new signalized intersections, and pedestrian and bicycle amenities, including a pedestrian underpass and paved walkways, according to the release. A primary goal was to improve flow at the intersection of Randall and Algonquin roads.

The next phase, construction on which is scheduled to begin in 2024, would tackle Randall Road from Alexandra Boulevard in Crystal Lake to Polaris Drive and Acorn Lane in Lake in the Hills.

Engineering for the project is ongoing and is expected to continue for the next 16 months, said Scott Hennings, the county’s assistant director of transportation.

The $8 million will go toward construction, which is estimated to cost $36 million, Hennings said. The county plans to use a combination of motor fuel and sales tax dollars and the hope is to obtain future federal grants.