About the Study

The Illinois Department of Transportation (Department) is currently engaged in preliminary engineering and environmental study (Phase I) of the intersection of U.S. Route 14 at Hartland / Hughes Road. The intersection is located in Hartland Township within unincorporated McHenry County. Other nearby communities include the City of Woodstock and the Village of Harvard in McHenry County.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate alternatives to find the most appropriate solution to improve safety and operations at the intersection.

Project Background

Annually, the Department performs an analysis of statewide crash data to identify locations with the most pressing safety needs. The intersection of U.S. 14 with Hartland / Hughes Road was identified as one of these locations in the past years.

A Road Safety Review completed in July 2018 identified several concerns regarding existing roadway conditions which could be contributing to the crash history of the intersection.

• Speeding on U.S. 14, which is signed for 55 mph, makes it difficult for vehicles on Hartland/Hughes Road to find an acceptable gap to cross or enter U.S. 14

• The hills on U.S. 14 make it difficult to judge the distance of vehicles approaching the intersection

• The lack of left turn lanes creates potential conflicts between turning and through vehicles on U.S. 14

• Narrow corners cause difficulty for turning trucks

Short-term countermeasures were implemented in Summer 2018 to address some of the concerns found by the Road Safety Review.

• Stop bars on Hartland / Hughes Road were moved closer to the intersection to improve drivers’ sight distance

• Pavement markings were added on U.S. 14

• Stop signs, advance warning signs, and flashing amber beacons were added on Hartland / Hughes Road to alert drivers of the upcoming intersection

After these countermeasures were added, six crashes were recorded in a one-year period. This Phase I study is to pursue more effective, long-term safety countermeasures at the intersection.

Additional needs to be addressed include drainage and lighting to improve recorded flooding events and improve safety.