State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr. and State Sen. Rachael Ventura are in opposition

     The City of Joliet has asked the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to modify a permit and allow emergency access of truck traffic on Route 53 for the developer of the Project, East Gate Logistics Park. 

According to a letter signed by Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty, the city is asking for IDOT to modify the permit on a “temporary basis” to allow three existing buildings located in the Project, access to Route 53 for trucks to enter and leave the site. 

A lawsuit was filed against the city and East Gate Logistics Park by Houbolt Road Extension Joint Venture (HREJV), partially owned by CenterPoint Logistics. 

East Gate Logistics Park was granted permission by the city to access Millsdale Road from the south to go west to access the interstates. Future access to the Project is intended to be serviced by a permanent bridge extending west across the Union Pacific Railroad.

“The original permit was put in place to move traffic away from Rt. 53,” explained Beatty. “However, the current situation necessitates emergency access until the legal issues are resolved.”

A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued on March 20th requires the city to prohibit trucks from the Project to Millsdale Road via the temporary access point. The city’s hands are legally tied now; however, the city is confident that they will prevail in the lawsuit. 

In the letter, the city states its opinion that East Gate and its tenants that are already operating, cannot be legally deprived of vehicular access. The city is therefore requesting IDOT to modify the permit until access to Millsdale Road is restored. 

“Balancing the needs of our residents and the requirement to protect the city’s interests from ongoing and future litigation presents a significant challenge for city officials,” stated Beatty. “City officials fully understand the impact this emergency permit will have on the residents in the area and are committed to a quick resolution. We are working with our state, county, and regional partners to address freight congestion in Joliet and the region for the immediate and distant future.”

While the city supports the temporary measure, State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., (D-Elwood), has pushed back on a recent request to increase truck traffic on Illinois Route 53 (IL 53) made to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) by the City of Joliet and “Northpoint,” the developer of the Third Coast Intermodal Hub project. 

    Walsh opposed the request for change in a letter sent to IDOT on May 3rd. “If IDOT is considering granting this modification to the permit, it cannot and should not do so without a full and complete traffic study,” said Walsh. “Increasing truck traffic on IL 53 will have consequences that will ripple far beyond this ‘temporary access’ point. This decision cannot be made without a full investigation of how a new access point to the Northpoint project will impact traffic flow in the area.

The Northpoint development was originally planned to exist within the Village of Elwood, but after the project was rejected, developers instead worked with the previous administration of the City of Joliet to annex land from unincorporated Jackson Township. The permit that the city has asked to modify severely limited the amount of truck traffic that could flow through IL 53. The requested change would lift those limits. 

“Up until this point, the developers have not offered any concrete solutions or plans to deal with the increased truck traffic the project would bring to communities across the 86th District,” said Walsh. 

State Senator Rachel Ventura also released a statement in opposition to the request by the city that said,

“Over the last seven years, NorthPoint developers and more recently the city of Joliet has requested temporary access to Route 53, residents across the district have routinely been against it due to environmental concerns and the significant increased traffic that would come.

“I echo my colleagues’ concerns regarding the developers’ lack of tangible solutions to deal with the increased truck traffic that would directly impact residents’ daily life. There needs to be accountability for the promises this developer has made. I encourage IDOT to deny temporary access and enforce the initial developer’s plans.

“I am committed to continuing to work to stop this decision in order to properly assess the project and end a request that would put profit over people. Many residents have vehemently opposed the project for years and we need the city of Joliet to listen to them.”