Route 6 Road Projects Near Completion

As Silver Cross Hospital nears its opening date in New Lenox, the road work surrounding the medical campus is close to complete.

During a committee meeting last week, village engineer Will Nash updated trustees on road projects near Route 6 and Interstate 355, where Silver Cross will open its new location Feb. 26.

Permanent traffic lights have been installed at Route 6 and Silver Cross Boulevard, which will serve as the main entrance to the hospital campus. Construction continues just to the east, at Cedar Crossings Drive, but Nash said he expects that will be done before the hospital opens.

That road will be the main entrance into the Cedar Crossings retail development, but will also include an entrance to Silver Cross Hospital. This road is across from the I-355 exit ramp. There will be two through lanes in each direction as well as dedicated right and left turn lanes.

The village amended its contract with the Zaremba Group last year to allow the Cedar Crossings developers to pay for the . Mayor Tim Baldermann said the village was also paying about $30 million in road projects through sales tax abatement to help make necessary improvements that could further the progress of these developments.

Cedar Crossings, the 970,000-square-foot retail center, was first slated to open in 2009 until the recession intervened. Original plans called for new locations of a Kohl's and a Meijer to anchor the shopping center, but they backed out. Now the .

At the committee meeting last week, Nash also said construction for the Route 30 widening project is wrapping up for the winter. There are still some issues with utility companies that need to be settled, but when the seasons change Nash expects the state to start paving new lanes, which has already begun in Frankfort.