LaGrange Road project nearly here

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Updated: March 2, 2012 8:19AM

In the category of “they said it would never happen,” it may not be the same as man landing on the moon, but forgive longtime residents of the southwest suburbs if they facetiously draw a parallel.

As soon as next fall, or spring 2013 at the latest, work will begin on one of the most anticipated road projects in the Southland — the widening of LaGrange Road from 131st to 179th streets.

It’s decades overdue, resulting in many years of worsening traffic congestion (and drivers’ tempers) because of business growth along the road. As bad as LaGrange Road has been to navigate for residents of Orland Park and neighboring towns, and those who travel to shop in Orland Park, it’s going to get a lot worse over the next couple of years.

But as with any major road project, it’s short-term pain for long-term gain, resulting in an attractive boulevard and impressive entrance into the village from the north and south.

Seemingly discussed since the Reagan administration, the $106 million LaGrange Road project will install a third lane in each direction, extra turn lanes at 151st Street and a 27-foot-wide landscaped median.

Like many in the southwest suburbs, we’re eager for this work to start and even more eager to see it completed. But we have some safety concerns. There will be some breaks in the median where drivers, without a light, can turn left across three lanes of oncoming traffic or make a U-turn.

How many breaks? We’re not sure. Village officials say two; the Illinois Department of Transportation says six. We know drivers need to reach destinations on the other side but cringe at them trying to make such turns at several spots.

Also the 143rd, 151st and 159th street intersections will have two left-turn lanes, with U-turns allowed only in the outer lane on LaGrange Road. We foresee some danger amid confusion as drivers in the inner left-turn lane try to make U-turns as well.

Maybe we shouldn’t worry and should trust that the IDOT engineers know their stuff. We can trust the state, right?