Funds OK'd for B-N East-Side Bypass - LOCAL

Pantagraph Story by M.K. Guetersloh mkguetersloh@pantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON - Funding to study where an east-side highway should be located received the go-ahead from the McLean County Board Tuesday. The board voted 13-5 to add its $100,000 to the money the city of Bloomington and the town of Normal are putting into the study. The three governments will share equally the $300,000 match required to receive a federal highway grant of $800,000 for the study. The federal money is designated to go to the county for the highway study, so the county will be the lead agency on the study, said County Administrator John Zeunik. If the board voted against the funding, the federal money would not be given to Bloomington or Normal.Several board members raised questions about the county's role in the study during the 1 & ½-hour discussion, including board member Stan Hoselton of Chenoa, who said he is concerned the city and town could out vote the county at some point in the study. "They are not in charge of this," said County Board Chairman Mike Sweeney. "We are. I know they will be shocked and dismayed to learn that." The area to be studied includes but extends beyond the 2,500-foot-wide highway corridor on the comprehensive plans of Bloomington and Normal. That corridor stretches from Interstate 55 near Towanda to I-74 near Downs. Zeunik said the study area will be a three-mile-wide path bounded by Towanda Barnes Road - also designated as McLean County Road 1900 East - on the west, county road 2200 East on the east, Interstate 55 on the north and Interstate 74 on the south. Board member Tari Renner of Bloomington was among the five who voted against it. "This goes to the broader issue of sprawl," Renner said. "There are better way to grow. And it may be federal money for this study, but it is still taxpayer money." Meanwhile Bette Rackauskas of Bloomington questioned whether a road on the east side of Bloomington was needed. Zeunik said the feasibility study completed in 2002-03 examined traffic patterns and growth and showed a need for the highway. The study also gave five possible routes, and this study will further refine the route. "This alignment study is the next step in the process," Zeunik said.With the three governments agreeing on the funding, now the county must wait for the Illinois Department of Transportation to distribute the federal money. The county also hopes IDOT will add $150,000 of state money to the study this spring.