State Representative Larry Walsh Jr. Rejects Increasing Truck Access via IL 53

JOLIET, Ill. – State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., (D-Elwood), has pushed back on a recent request to increase truck traffic on Illinois Route 53 (IL 53) made to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) by the City of Joliet and “Northpoint,” the developer of the Third Coast Intermodal Hub project. Walsh opposed the request for change in a letter sent to IDOT on May 3rd.

“If IDOT is considering granting this modification to the permit, it cannot and should not do so without a full and complete traffic study,” said Walsh. “Increasing truck traffic on IL 53 will have consequences that will ripple far beyond this ‘temporary access’ point. This decision cannot be made without a full investigation of how a new access point to the Northpoint project will impact traffic flow in the area.”

The Northpoint development was originally planned to exist within the Village of Elwood, but after the project was rejected, developers instead worked with the previous administration of the City of Joliet to annex land from unincorporated Jackson Township. The permit that the city has asked to modify severely limited the amount of truck traffic that could flow through IL 53. The requested change would lift those limits.

“Up until this point, the developers have not offered any concrete solutions or plans to deal with the increased truck traffic the project would bring to communities across the 86th District,” said Walsh.

Walsh’s letter to IDOT is attached. For more information, please contact Rep. Walsh’s district office at 815-730-8600.