Politics & Government
$7.2 Million Joe Orr Road Project to Yield Economic Benefits, Says Preckwinkle
The board president says extending Joe Orr Road into Indiana will greatly benefit municipalities in south-east Cook County.
Joe Orr Road was recently realigned and will be extended into Indiana, and the benefits of the 1.3 mile project are coming, according to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
The project, which started east of Stony Island Avenue and went to Torrence Avenue in Lansing, moved Joe Orr Road further south and expanded it to five lanes, according to the release from the Preckwinkle's office. Torrence also grew to three lanes from the new Joe Orr intersection to the old one. With a future expansion into Munster, IN in mind, a traffic signal was installed at the new intersection as well.
"This project reflects the department’s strategic role as an active force in economic development. We recognize that building and improving infrastructure is the first step toward attracting business,” Preckwinkle said in a press release.
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New curbs and gutters, drainage improvements, parkway and median landscaping, as well as new pavement markings and signs were all part of the first phase, which has costed roughly $7.2 million to date.
The six-year expansion project is expected to wrap up in 2017. The plan is for Joe Orr Road to become a major "east-west corridor" for the southeast part of the County.
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