AURORA, Ill. – In recognition of his lasting impact on the city of Aurora and surrounding areas, a resolution sponsored by state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, renaming a portion of U.S. Route 30 as the Paul Egan Memorial Highway passed the House on Tuesday.
“One of the lasting legacies of Mayor Egan’s time in office was the rerouting of Route 30 south of downtown Aurora,” Kifowit said. “Egan’s visionary move has proven immensely beneficial to Aurora by helping alleviate congestion and limiting air and noise pollution.”
Kifowit’s House Joint Resolution 8 designates Route 30 between Route 47 and 34 as the “Paul Egan Memorial Highway.” In the 1950s, Route 30 was a major coast-to-coast highway that travelled through the heart of downtown Aurora. Congestion, noise, and pollution grew as semi-truck traffic increased, negatively impacting the quality of life of area residents. Mayor Egan pushed for Route 30 to be moved south to its current location to alleviate these problems. In addition to improving the quality of life for people living in downtown Aurora, the relocation of Route 30 helped create economic growth along the route’s new path.
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“I am pleased to see that Rep. Stephanie Kifowit took it upon herself to have a resolution adopted to honor the late Aurora Mayor Paul Egan,” said Lyle Rolfe, reporter and photographer for the Oswego Ledger-Sentinel, with decades of experience in the area. “Mayor Egan’s decision made it possible for Boulder Hill, Montgomery, and Oswego to expand and experience both commercial and residential growth; so, not just Aurorans, but residents of all these surrounding communities should be thankful for what Mayor Egan did.”
For more information, please contact Kifowit’s constituent service office by phone at 630-585-1308, by email at Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net, or by visiting www.ILDistrict84.com.
