By Marney Simon | Sentinel Staff
Residents who have no choice but to drive past a Shorewood warehouse district to reach their homes have reached out to village officials, asking for their help in keeping trucks from possibly blocking off their streets.
On Nov. 13, several residents from the Camelot subdivision, which sits along the Frontage Road south of the I-80 and I-55 junction, approached the village board about a potentially dangerous incident that blocked the only entrance to their neighborhood. On Oct. 25, a semitruck leaving the warehouse district made a wrong turn, getting stuck across the roadway for 90 minutes. The traffic jam left several students bound for school in Minooka stuck on their bus, with the school district having to send out a second bus to transport the children.
Neighbors said the incident could have taken a turn for the worse.
“On that day, you see the school bus there with numerous amounts of children on it. There was also in that line a resident, nine months pregnant and on her way to a doctor’s appointment,” Camelot resident Esteban Senisais, III told the board, adding that the road has been blocked before, but never this badly.
“Nothing of this magnitude has locked it up for an hour and a half,” he said.
Neighbors were also concerned that the road block had cut the neighborhood off from emergency responders.
Camelot subdivision resident Jill Sauerwain said her son’s medical issues leave him prone to seizures, which often require emergency medical attention.
“The day that this truck was stuck, he started having seizures that morning,” Sauerwain said. “He has a very detailed seizure action plan, and if he doesn’t respond to treatment within 15 minutes, I have to call EMS. If EMS is unable to treat him, he can go into a life-threatening emergency… If my son can’t get the treatment that he desperately needs, he can die.”
The neighbors said what the area really needs is better signage, arguing that most signs directing trucks are small or difficult to read. For truckers not from the area, the Frontage Road can be deceiving, since turning one direction looks like it leads to the interstate but actually hits a dead end.
“In my opinion, I think we could do bigger, even better signs, “Senisais said. “Some of those signs are waist level for us. It’s pretty hard for a trucker to see on his way out there.”
Village officials said new street signs are planned to be erected once paving is complete along part of the road. The newest warehouse under construction is also set to have a driveway loop, so truck drivers who have turned the wrong way will have a place to turn around before hitting the dead end.
“The new plan [once construction is complete] does have an extensive amount of signs out there that will call for where that turnaround is,” said Public Works Supervisor Chris Drey. “There will be some LEDs out there, so there will be a lot more improvements when that is done.”
Village officials added that they would work with the warehouse occupants about making their signs bigger and easier to read.
“We’re concerned about your issues down there, believe me, we all are,” said Trustee Dan Anderson.
Residents said a satisfactory change could be made provided the village, warehouses, and residents can all work together.
“We understand that this is not an everyday occurrence,” Senisais said. “We’re sure the drivers don’t want to be back there as much as we don’t want them back there.”