Western Springs Mulls Plainfield Road Upgrades

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs is deciding what kind of feedback to provide for Cook County's study to improve 3½ miles of Plainfield Road.

For the last few years, the county's transportation department has been looking at alternatives.

In Western Springs, Plainfield Road forms part of the village's southern boundary. It is along Western Springs' Timber Trails subdivision, which has been a work in progress over the last couple of decades.

The county is trying to figure out what to do for pedestrians on the north side of the road. The south side already has a sidewalk.

Along Timber Trails is an asphalt path, which is part of a network of trails in the neighborhood itself.

Officials are considering two alternatives – connect a new sidewalk to the existing asphalt path system or install a new sidewalk all along Western Springs' section of Plainfield.

In December, Timber Trails homeowners association representatives met with village and county officials.

The representatives said the decade-old Timber Trails path along Plainfield is in poor condition and that the developer did not construct or maintain it properly, according to meeting minutes.

They asked whether the county would consider replacing the asphalt path with a new concrete sidewalk.

On Wednesday, the village's Infrastructure Commission plans to review the alternatives and make a recommendation to the Village Board. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Village Hall.