One More Step Before Eastern Avenue Reopening: Manhattan Mayor

MANHATTAN, IL — Curious (and maybe a smidge snarky) minds want to know: when, exactly, will the newly rebuilt Eastern Avenue open?

The one-mile extension and reconstructed road from Baker to Smith roads is guaranteed contractually to be re-opened by Nov. 30, Mayor Mike Adrieansen said, but he's aiming for a few days earlier, with a hopeful reopening date of Nov. 25.

Adrieansen said Wednesday that there is a final necessary step to take, to make the reopened intersection safe for residents. Adrieansen and trustees on Nov. 21 will work to advance a measure of jurisdictional transfer of Baker Road headed west of Eastern, in turn then permitting the Village to create a four-way stop there. The transfer will include 2,100 feet of the road, or approximately half a mile, Adrieansen said.

Adrieansen said safety is priority at the intersection, and he'd like the four-way stop to be in place before the road reopens.

"If we can get this done," Adrieansen said, "I’d much rather have a four-way stop."

The Village in May approved the rebuilding and reopening of Eastern Avenue, from Baker to Smith Road, bringing back another north/south entry point and connection to neighboring New Lenox. Work was projected to be completed within two months, Adrieansen said.

The extension "is a great thing happening," the mayor said.

"It will create a safer route for our residents and young drivers."

The portion of road was closed approximately 20 years ago due to its poor condition, Adrieansen previously told Patch. Reopening the stretch increases access to and from Manhattan, as a third north/south corridor along with Cedar Road and US 52. The reopening is essential as Manhattan grows, Adrieansen said, and was a top priority for him following his election.

"With all the truck traffic and the increased amount of traffic, we thought that this would be a safer route for our residents," Adrieansen told Patch in May, "especially young residents first getting their license."

The stretch will give residents another route to Lincoln-Way West High School, specifically, he said.

PT Ferro won the bid for the project, at a price tag of just under $1.3 million. The contract with the company requires that the work be completed by Nov. 30, 2023.

Two crashes in May also emphasized the need for the road's reopening. A three-car crash on US 52 at Baker Road that had traffic backed up and rerouted subsequently led to another crash at Cedar and Smith roads, when a driver detoured from the first crash.

The sequence and locations of the two crashes pointed to the necessity of reopening Eastern Avenue from Baker to Smith Road, as another north-south corridor in and out of Manhattan, Police Chief Jeff Wold told Patch. Will County has also since made the intersection of Cedar and Smith roads a four-way stop.

"Opening Eastern Avenue will reduce the traffic on 52, and reduce the traffic on Cedar, and if there is a situation that would cause Cedar or 52 to close, it would give at least two ways to get out of town, heading north toward New Lenox," Wold said at the time.

Adrieansen said he hopes the four-way stop, 35 mph speed limit, and heavy speed monitoring will help keep the road safe. He's noticed residents growing impatient with the process, but wants them to know they're doing what they can to wrap things up, and that this is the last box to check.

"We're trying to do the right thing," Adrieansen told Patch. "I really feel comfortable doing a four-way. Our main priority is creating a safer route for our residents."

He added he hopes to have a formal ribbon cutting ceremony on the road, also planning to invite residents for a chance to run, bike, rollerblade, etc. on the road before traffic begins flowing. He hopes to have more details on the formalities soon.