If You Build It, They Will Come

Will County, one of the least crowded of Chicagoland's collar counties, can expect a huge population boom with the extension of I-355. It's rural character will fast become a thing of the past.

Massive retail and home developments are already under construction or planned along the route. Traffic on the roads with interchanges will be doubling almost immediately, and of course, then we get urban congestion.

This is probably great for the developers and rich folks, but I hate to see the "out-in-the-country" feel depart.

Populations of towns, which have already been going up, along the extension is expected to really increase. Some examples, the first number is population in 2000, second 2006 estimate, and third is the 2030 projection:

Woodridge: 30,934- 34,386, -42,889
Bolingbrook: 56,321- 69,881- 84,753
Homer Glen: 22,000- 25,000- 47,534
Lockport: 15,191- 23,840- 36,224
New Lenox: 17,771- 24,039- 90,652!!!
Joliet: 105,597- 142,702- 200,000!!!!

The growth of New Lenox (which is at the southern end of I-355 where it runs into I-80) will be staggering. Will County officials said it could become the "Schaumburg" of the southwest suburbs as two huge malls have already been proposed. The city is considering enacting a 1 % sales tax on the malls and surrounding retail operations in an attempt to upgrade roads, something that will be definitely needed.

Joliet is in line to becoming the largest Illinois city outside of Chicago.

From November 4th Chicago Tribune "Boom Goes Will County" by Hal Dardick

What Did Kevin Costner Say, or, Was It the Voice in His Head? --RoadDog