After Toll Nixed, Longmeadow Parkway Signs Come Down This Past Week

KANE COUNTY, IL — The long-awaited opening of the Longmeadow Parkway bridge, which is meant to provide another roadway across the Fox River, is set to open this fall but officials in Kane County celebrated an important milestone this past week.

Two signs related to a tolling system, which was initially approved to help pay for the roadway, were taken down. A large crane removed the signs during an event Tuesday, according to a news release.

“This is a day we have been waiting for since the idea of a tolling system wasintroduced,” said Kane County Chairman Corinne Pierog. “Kane County made a commitment to find the funding necessary to remove this financial burden from motorists, and with the generous help from our state lawmakers and our neighboring counties, the toll is permanently gone."

Although the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor was among the trio of bridge and roadway corridors sanctioned by the Federal Highway Administration in 2001, only a portion of the required funds were provided by the federal government for this specific project. As a result, a task force comprised of community stakeholders opted to implement a toll system to finance the construction expenses of the bridge.

Responding to public demand to abandon the tolls, Kane County successfully lobbied for an additional $35 million in funding from the state and regional partners, ending the toll system before the bridge's planned opening this fall, according to a new release.

Tuesday's removal of the the toll signs, along with the eventual removal of all unused toll equipment near the bridge, marks the end of a planned motorist user fee to cover construction expenses related to the bridge, according to officials in Kane.

The Longmeadow Parkway Bridge near Carpentersville is the final part of a 5.6-mile- long corridor that crosses through the northern section of Kane County. The corridor stretches from Huntley Road to Route 62.

The concept of the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor dates back four decades as limited river crossings and a growing population in the northern end of Kane County created major challenges for residents commuting across the Fox River for work, school, business or leisure.

The Longmeadow Parkway Bridge is expected to open to the public this fall. The total cost of the project is $204 million.