Some residents and trustees wary about roundabout discussions for Huntley-Dundee and Kreutzer roads

HUNTLEY — The Aug. 11 Village Board Meeting featured a topic that at least one Huntley resident was concerned with. That particular agenda item called on the board to consider the potential of building a roundabout at the intersection of Huntley-Dundee and Kreutzer roads.

According to the village, in October 2005, Huntley received a jurisdictional transfer for 2.05 miles of Huntley-Dundee Road, including the intersection of Kreutzer Road, from McHenry County.

Seeing as each leg of the intersection belongs to different jurisdictions, an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Kane and McHenry counties and the villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville, Gilberts, and Huntley was established to ensure a “mutual cooperation of the governmental entities to ensure the safe and efficient flow of traffic along the Longmeadow Parkway/Huntley-Dundee Road/Kreutzer Road.”

Since that time, the Village of Huntley has had a long-range interim plan to consider realigning Huntley-Dundee Road so that it will form a 90-degree T-intersection with Kreutzer Road, however, through lengthy discussions, village staff has proposed a more permanent solution for that intersection, which would involve building a roundabout in that area.

Director of Public Works and Engineering Tim Farrell told trustees that while the interim plan would be an improvement to the intersection, it wouldn’t necessarily correct the area the way it needs to be corrected fully.

While most of the trustees seemed on board with the idea, resident John Piwko presented his safety concerns with roundabouts, asking the board to instead move forward with the village’s interim plan.

“Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to drive through two roundabouts—Route 47 at Plato Road and again at Burlington Road. I nearly witnessed a crash as the car in front of me never slowed down and nearly hit the car that was trying to enter the roundabout without yielding,” said Piwko. “I can imagine what might happen if one is built on Huntley and Kreutzer.”

Despite Piwko’s concerns, all but trustees Ronda Goldman and Harry Leopold seemed to be in favor of continuing discussions on the potential for a roundabout.

“Most of the accidents that occur, at least in my 18 years here in Huntley, have been turning left onto Kreutzer Road off of Dundee Road, which means the driver is at fault turning left onto Kreutzer Road, misjudging the speed at which the vehicle is approaching them [in the] opposite direction is coming at them. So, [the interim plan] is probably not going to fix the problem. Roundabouts slow you down,” said Trustee JR Westberg who was in favor of the roundabout idea.

Trustees Mary Holzkopf, Curt Kittle, and Niko Kanakaris agreed with Westberg’s comments, with Kanakaris only adding that he hopes plans for the roundabout include a widened roadway so that semi-trucks don’t have to go over the curb to get through it.

Leopold told his fellow board members that he believes that an expenditure for a roundabout isn’t necessary and that the problem with the Huntley-Dundee and Kreutzer intersection can be solved with the interim plan the village already has.

“There used to be a real terrible problem down at Square Barn and Galligan and they seemed to have solved that problem with the traffic light and blinking yellow signal and I think we should consider something like that with bringing Kreutzer out to a 90-degree perpendicular stop on Huntley-Dundee Road,” said Leopold.

Mayor Tim Hoeft agreed with the majority of the board members, stating that a roundabout could be a “traffic calming and life-saving option,” for that intersection.

Village Manager Dave Johnson told trustees that the village is nowhere near discussing detailed plans regarding the roundabout as staff first needs to include figures as part of the 2023 budget process.

Johnson added that in order to determine if a roundabout is even suitable for that location of intersection, a concept study would first need to be done.

The concept study would include data collection that compiles base design files using Kane and McHenry County LiDAR data, traffic analysis from existing years until 2050, crash analysis, a roundabout concept plan development, and a preliminary cost estimate.

Nearing the end of the roundabout presentation, Bill Byrne, the husband of Linda Byrne (whose maiden name is Kreutzer), was allowed to speak to the board, where he shared his disappointment at not being notified by the village regarding that night’s discussion of the roundabout.

Johnson reminded Byrne that any improvement that the village has done for several years on Kreutzer Road would require right-of-way acquisition, also adding that the village is in no way in any position to start the process of building a roundabout in that area.

Johnson told Byrne that he and the rest of the Kreutzer family would be notified once final plans are made.

All but Trustees Goldman and Leopold voted in favor of continuing to move forward with plans of constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Huntley-Dundee and Kreutzer roads.