By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Bell School Road has reopened for traffic after a six-month construction project to widen the roadway and make other improvements.
Winnebago County Highway Department along with state and county government officials gathered Tuesday at the corner of Christian Way and Bell School Road to celebrate the completion of the $4 million project.
“It improves safety and it improves the quality of life for all the residents who live in this area and who travel on this road,” County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli said. “Especially for Rockford Christian School, improving the safety for their students and their employees.”
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The work stretched roughly a mile from Argus Drive, near where the interim Rockford Casino operated, to a subdivision entrance at Royal Toon Drive.
The improvements included widening the road from two to three lanes with a center turn lane, installing new traffic signals and turn lanes, new high visibility pavement markings, and replacing the ditch drainage system with new curb, gutter and storm sewer systems. A new multiuse path was built from Argus Drive to Guilford Road, and a new asphalt surface covers Bell School from Colosseum Drive near Rock Valley Garden Center to Royal Toon Drive.
The two-phase project started in April and finished a few weeks ahead of schedule. Arc Design Resources was the design consultant and N-Trak Group was the county’s contractor.
The project was funded by $2.8 million in Winnebago County Highway Department funds, which come from both property taxes and a portion of landfill host fee funds that are dedicated to capital improvements. It was also aided in $1.2 million from two grants from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity secured by state Rep. Joe Sosnowski and state Sen. Dave Syverson.
“It was an easy decision on our part,” Sosnowski said. “Any time we can bring dollars back to the local community to improve traffic flow and just make everything better in this area both for the residents and the school, it was a no-brainer.”
Jahna Duda, the head of school for Rockford Christian, said the improvements have made it easier for car-line traffic to get in and out of the school property. She said it’s also been a blessing for the school’s neighbors and nearby businesses.
The original section of Bell School was built in 1939 by the county from Charles Street to Olde Creek Road, according to Carlos Molina, county engineer.
The road now transfers the jurisdiction of the road from the county to the city under a previous intergovernmental agreement made in 2005. That means the city will be responsible for future maintenance as well as plowing the street and path in winter.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas