PLAINFIELD, IL — Village officials, consultants and developers gathered in Plainfield Wednesday morning to officially celebrate the 143rd Street extension project with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The highly anticipated project, costing $12 million, will transform Plainfield by rerouting Route 126 onto 143rd Street, shifting traffic and trucks away from the downtown area typically bustling with both pedestrian and car traffic.
Work is being split between two initial improvements: the east 143rd extension, taking place from 2024-25, and the west extension, planned for 2024. Wednesday’s groundbreaking celebrated the west extension half.
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The west extension entails building a new thoroughfare from Ridge to Steiner roads, including upgrades at Ridge Road, multiple culverts, and stormwater improvements coordinated jointly with neighboring developments, Patch reported.
The east extension will involve building a new road between Route 59 to Route 126 with upgrades at both intersections, a bridge over the DuPage River, a new signalized intersection at Plainfield-Naperville Road, and multiple culvers and retaining walls.
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“Because of this roadway, and along with our Lake Michigan water supply, we are the envy of our neighbors,” Mayor John Argoudelis said at the event. “We have roadways, infrastructure, water and everything needed to support this industrial growth and take our place in the sun.”
RELATED: Route 126 Shift, Industrial Development Signal Plainfield ‘Golden Age’
Construction kicked off in February with contractors making “great progress” thanks to warmer-than-anticipated weather. So far, work is underway on a water main along Ridge Road and a sanitary sewer main along 143rd Street.
The majority of the project’s cost — $10 million — is being funded by other governing bodies, including $1 million from Kendall County, $980,000 from an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant, and through taxes from inter-governmental agreements, according to village documents.
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“I’ve often said, we’re not Naperville, Minooka, Romeoville or Bolingbrook,” Argoudelis said. “We are Plainfield. We have our unique history, our own vibe, and I’m committed to making what I like to call the best version of ourselves — the best Plainfield.”
RELATED: 143rd Street Extension Work Set To Begin ‘Shortly’ In Plainfield
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