Philadelphia's Frankford Avenue Bridge
We're not the only ones who feel this way...
"Lack of planning, loss of historic resources, and the replacement of historic bridges
all contribute to the loss of character and undeniable sense of place that Pennsylvania possesses.
Interestingly enough, residents increasingly want traffic-calming projects, reduced speed limits,
and retention of narrower roads and bridges to limit the speed and size of vehicles in their communities.
When it comes to bridges that serve as picturesque gateways to communities or enhance the rural landscape,
many citizens affirm that the aesthetic quality offered by historic bridges is more important than speed."
-Susan Zachar, "Driving A Call to Action for Pennsylvania's Bridges"
"Lack of planning, loss of historic resources, and the replacement of historic bridges
all contribute to the loss of character and undeniable sense of place that Pennsylvania possesses.
Interestingly enough, residents increasingly want traffic-calming projects, reduced speed limits,
and retention of narrower roads and bridges to limit the speed and size of vehicles in their communities.
When it comes to bridges that serve as picturesque gateways to communities or enhance the rural landscape,
many citizens affirm that the aesthetic quality offered by historic bridges is more important than speed."
-Susan Zachar, "Driving A Call to Action for Pennsylvania's Bridges"
If you are facing issues in your own neighborhood and have found our site, we would love to help.
Please contact us.
Project Facts.
Repair Briarwood Bridge
Save Briarwood Lane
- Repaired the bridge and save $500,000-$700,000 (estimated repair costs $235,000 to $373,000)
- Stopped the Township from wasting more taxpayer money
- Did not remove the traffic calming devices, did not realign
- Preserved the Briarwood Bridge as is
- Require better planning and participation
- Did not cut down century-old trees
- Recognized the need to calm traffic, existing layout works
- Allowed no changes to pavement layout or bridge dimensions
- Continued Plum Grove Estates' nearly 60-year tradition of sharing the road
- Reduced speed limit to 20 MPH on all of our streets (Vote of PGE Homeowners passed by overwhelming margin!)
- Requires 15 MPH speed at narrow bridge approach
- Utilized new reflective warning signs and better placement (This has since been done!)
- Maintenance of trimming the trees and bushes to improve line of sight selectively
The Originally Proposed Project
The Palatine Township Road District (PTRD) plans to replace the Briarwood Bridge and realign Briarwood Lane in the Plum Grove Estates Subdivision, unincorporated Palatine, Cook County, Illinois at a cost of approximately $1,000,000.
We believe that there are major safety, cultural, environmental, and financial issues that need to be considered regarding this project and further vetting is prudent. Furthermore, without properly assessing these issues and the immediate effects to the neighborhood, the Road District is proposing a public project that will create serious and irreversible effects.
It is unjust that a project that has been in development for many years was made known to only fourteen affected residents on March 16th as the Road District was in the final stages of design and permitting. Before this date, the plan was announced at the February PGE Property Owners Association (PGEPOA) meeting. As property owners and taxpayers, we expect more due process, transparency, and public participation before a project of this scope commences.
Many neighbors living in the Subdivision, which is located west of Illinois Route 53 and north of Algonquin Road, are opposed to the project and the expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars for improvements that are not necessary and that will worsen safety issues.
Factors that weigh against the project include:
I. NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY CONCERNS
II. BRIDGE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
III. LANDMARK BRIDGE, NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETICS AND PROPERTY VALUES
IV. TREE REMOVAL
We believe that there are major safety, cultural, environmental, and financial issues that need to be considered regarding this project and further vetting is prudent. Furthermore, without properly assessing these issues and the immediate effects to the neighborhood, the Road District is proposing a public project that will create serious and irreversible effects.
It is unjust that a project that has been in development for many years was made known to only fourteen affected residents on March 16th as the Road District was in the final stages of design and permitting. Before this date, the plan was announced at the February PGE Property Owners Association (PGEPOA) meeting. As property owners and taxpayers, we expect more due process, transparency, and public participation before a project of this scope commences.
Many neighbors living in the Subdivision, which is located west of Illinois Route 53 and north of Algonquin Road, are opposed to the project and the expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars for improvements that are not necessary and that will worsen safety issues.
Factors that weigh against the project include:
I. NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY CONCERNS
- There are no sidewalks on Briarwood Lane. Pedestrians, children, pets, and motorists have safely shared Briarwood Lane for over half a century.
- The existing Bridge functions to slow traffic. It is an important historical and architectural structure in the neighborhood.
- The winding “S” chicane curves on Briarwood Lane are central both to the safety and the beautification of the Plum Grove neighborhood.
- Studies show that the configuration of the bridge and lane slows and calms traffic. The streets in Plum Grove Estates utilize many of the suggested calming techniques.
- The proposed straightening of Briarwood Lane, as well as the widening of the Bridge, will create a straight-away through the Subdivision, thus encouraging more traffic traveling at higher speeds. Briarwood Lane acts as a cut-through route for commuters between Frontage Road and Meacham Road.
II. BRIDGE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
- Repair the bridge, no need to replace and spend excess money. Preserve landmark bridge.
- From 1988-2015, little change has been reported regarding the Briarwood Bridge in IDOT’s bi-annual Bridge Condition Report.
- IDOTs 2010 Bridge Condition Report shows an 81% sufficiency rating. It states the bridge is not structurally deficient, the culvert is in satisfactory condition with minor deterioration, the channel and protection are in good condition with some minor repairs, and says the structural evaluation is equal to present minimum criteria.
- PTRD notes only two repairs on the bridge since 1988.
- The Road District proposes to spend approximately $891,000 - $1 Million Dollars to replace the Bridge, when repair would save approximately $500,000 or more. This is a stone, Mid-Century bridge and has architectural significance. Repair costs estimate: $235,000 to $373,000.
- There is concern about the vetting process PTRD used in hiring an engineering firm. The lead Civil Engineer had no experience in designing a similar bridge. The National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) requires bridge data to be kept for all structures over 20 feet and a bridge structure number is assigned to each bridge. The civil engineering firm had no experience in this area.
- A structural engineer was not retained until late in the process. This was apparently required by IDOT.
- There is concern about the public money (in excess of $130,000) spent on engineering fees and related costs. (Click Supporting Documents tab above.)
- According to PTRD, there was no other bidding for the engineering on this project.
III. LANDMARK BRIDGE, NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETICS AND PROPERTY VALUES
- Briarwood Bridge is an integral and historic part of our Mid-Century neighborhood and should be preserved. It matches our beautiful entrances and complements the landscape.
- Property values will be adversely affected due to tree removal and increased cut through traffic.
IV. TREE REMOVAL
- The Road District proposes to remove 8 mature trees, including several century-plus oak trees depicted above. Many other trees are near the construction zone and will be negatively impacted.
- Some of the trees to be demolished measure 3 feet in diameter. PTRD proposes replacing the trees with trees measuring 4 inches in diameter.
- Removing the trees may worsen the flooding issues as the roots will no longer be available to absorb water.
| briarwood_modified_alternate_alignment_exhibit.pdf |
Proposal / Background
At the end of June, the Palatine Township Road District (PTRD) came up with an alternative proposal based on feedback from Plum Grove Estates residents at the June 19 meeting at Plum Grove Park. Please note that this proposal is still in the discussion phase, but has not yet been formally submitted to Cook County or to the various agencies that are to approve the project before it commences.
The Save Briarwood Committee acknowledges that the alternative proposal is no doubt a significant improvement over the original proposal that intended to cut down up to 8 large trees and significantly change the layout of the Briarwood Lane; however, we still have the following concerns:
The PTRD plan is still to demolish the existing bridge and replace it with a longer, wider bridge.
Our stance: Repair the Bridge
We acknowledge that the deck of the Briarwood Bridge is in need of repair; however, several engineers with whom the committee has consulted have told us that the structure is fundamentally sound, and that the bridge deck and stonework could be repaired without changing the configuration of the road. PTRD has also confirmed that the structure underneath the deck is sound, and has two detailed plans from Cook County to repair the deck.
Repair of the existing bridge is less expensive, and preserves both the aesthetics and safety features that the founders of the neighborhood designed into Briarwood Lane and Briarwood Bridge. In addition, master masons have told us that the vein of stone in our historic bridge (Fond du Lac Weather Edge) quarried to construct the parapets of the bridge was used up decades ago, and is unique and irreplaceable. Therefore, we propose simply repairing the bridge deck and the existing stonework, as the PTRD did in 1988, which has lasted nearly 25 years without maintenance.
Thank you for taking the time to view our website. Please contact any of the committee members if you have questions! (See the "How to HELP" page.)
Click the file below to see the alternative proposal. (Slide #1 is the existing configuration; slide #2 is the proposed alternative configuration.)
The Save Briarwood Committee acknowledges that the alternative proposal is no doubt a significant improvement over the original proposal that intended to cut down up to 8 large trees and significantly change the layout of the Briarwood Lane; however, we still have the following concerns:
The PTRD plan is still to demolish the existing bridge and replace it with a longer, wider bridge.
- A longer bridge would still require a reconfiguration of the curve approaching the bridge from the west, increasing the radius from 125’ to 200’, which will flatten out the curve, thus encouraging increased speed and more cut-through traffic, thereby jeopardizing the safety of pedestrians. Briarwood Lane is a residential street and we do not want to encourage increased speed or traffic.
- A wider bridge would take away the built-in traffic-calming design of the existing bridge.
- A new bridge would support heavier trucks, encouraging more truck traffic down Briarwood Lane.
- The construction will still significantly jeopardize a few of the beautiful old oak trees and two maple trees on Briarwood Lane, and cause considerable disruption to the creek bed. The environmental consequences have not been studied.
- Flooding will not be impacted by a new bridge as indicated in the submittal information, and we expect the Township will no longer be making that claim.
Our stance: Repair the Bridge
We acknowledge that the deck of the Briarwood Bridge is in need of repair; however, several engineers with whom the committee has consulted have told us that the structure is fundamentally sound, and that the bridge deck and stonework could be repaired without changing the configuration of the road. PTRD has also confirmed that the structure underneath the deck is sound, and has two detailed plans from Cook County to repair the deck.
Repair of the existing bridge is less expensive, and preserves both the aesthetics and safety features that the founders of the neighborhood designed into Briarwood Lane and Briarwood Bridge. In addition, master masons have told us that the vein of stone in our historic bridge (Fond du Lac Weather Edge) quarried to construct the parapets of the bridge was used up decades ago, and is unique and irreplaceable. Therefore, we propose simply repairing the bridge deck and the existing stonework, as the PTRD did in 1988, which has lasted nearly 25 years without maintenance.
Thank you for taking the time to view our website. Please contact any of the committee members if you have questions! (See the "How to HELP" page.)
Click the file below to see the alternative proposal. (Slide #1 is the existing configuration; slide #2 is the proposed alternative configuration.)
Demolition Plan submitted for permits
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It's not "just a bridge," and they're not "just trees"
Note the date - taken in 1963! The bridge was already 9 years old. It has maintained its rustic elegance for
60 years, becoming a community landmark. A stamped concrete replacement will not suffice.
Please take the time to get involved and be heard today. To sign the hard copy petitions, email us at [email protected] or contact any one of the people below for more information:
60 years, becoming a community landmark. A stamped concrete replacement will not suffice.
Please take the time to get involved and be heard today. To sign the hard copy petitions, email us at [email protected] or contact any one of the people below for more information:
- Wally Wilson 847-397-1811
- Debbie Wear 847-312-6569
- Matthew Wear 847-397-4092
- Cathy Reichl 847-397-4226
- Terrie Sobeski 847-722-5714
- Mary Crook 847-303-5259
- Bob Vanselow 847-397-2574
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