The Village of Schaumburg chose to replace an oversized intersection that had confusing and poorly functioning traffic control within a busy commercial area of the village with a modern roundabout. National Parkway Roadway Improvements project reconstructs the roadway, modernizes the intersection, and upgrades the drainage and stormwater management. This complex project was selected to receive a Special Achievement Award as part of the ACEC Illinois 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards.
A Complex Project Scope
National Parkway, between IL Route 58 (Golf Road) and American Lane provides access to many commercial properties in the heart of the Village. The roadway previously was comprised of two lanes in each direction and included a multi-use path on the west side and an incomplete sidewalk on the east side. The intersection was larger than needed for the current traffic volumes and future traffic projections, and the pedestrian accommodations were lacking.
The conventional, four-way stop intersection of National Parkway and American Lane has been replaced with a modern roundabout. North of American Lane, National Parkway has been narrowed to provide a single through lane in each direction. An 8’-wide bike path has been constructed on the west side of the roadway and a 5-foot sidewalk was installed on the east side. Additionally, a new lighting system was installed throughout the project, and the existing traffic signals at Golf Road were updated.
The roadway previously had curb and gutter with a closed drainage system. The project also involved extensive stormwater management and drainage design. The Salt Creek floodway was conveyed through dual 96-inch corrugated metal pipes located within the existing median of National Parkway from Golf Road to American Lane.
That existing drainage system was replaced, including the installation of a 12’x8’ concrete box culvert within the median to replace the existing dual 96” corrugated metal pipes that carry the floodway. The design of the culvert included mitigation of poor sub-grade soil conditions to prevent future differential settlement.
All legs at both the intersections with Woodfield Road and American Lane are under the jurisdiction of the Village. At the signalized intersection at IL Route 58 (Golf Road), the north and south legs are under Village jurisdiction and the east and west legs are under IDOT jurisdiction. The project was broken out into a locally let and locally funded improvement south of American Lane using Rebuild Illinois funds, and the roundabout and remaining northern portion of the project utilized STP federal funding for construction. Several parcels of right of way were required to construct the northern construction contract.
Civiltech provided Phase II Design Engineering. In addition to design, the Phase II contract included preparation of right of way documents, appraisals, and property owner negotiations. Civiltech also provided Phase III Construction Engineering services. The project was let by IDOT due to the use of Federal funds, and their requirements were followed meticulously by the Construction Engineering team.
A New Roundabout
The existing intersection of National Parkway and American Lane was over designed in its existing condition with two lanes in each direction plus additional left turn lanes. This large intersection was functioning as a four-way stop making it confusing and challenging to navigate. The single lane roundabout improves safety by promoting lower speeds, calming traffic, and removing the confusing traffic control of the 4-way stop. Pedestrian facilities were made more accessible and safer through installation of new ADA compliant sidewalks, a new multi-use path, and shorter crossing distances at the roundabout achieved by the reduction to single lanes and installation of new medians.
Also, the existing intersection appeared large and daunting. The new roundabout includes decorative paver designs that align with the Village of Schaumburg’s current streetscape standards, new landscaping in the center of the roundabout softening the overall aesthetic of the intersection, and new sleek lighting.
Stormwater Management Innovation
The project included the installation of the new 12’x8’ box culvert which ran under National Parkway, parallel to the road, from Golf Road to American Lane. The existing culvert piping had been leaking and created poor soil conditions, and the soil was unsuitable for the foundation of the new box culvert.
To provide the stable foundation needed for the large box culvert, Vibro Concrete Column Ground Stabilization was utilized. In this innovative technique, an auger digs vertically into the ground. As the auger is retracted, concrete is pumped into the hole creating the concrete column. Due to the length of the new box culvert, 200 columns were required and were installed in a grid pattern, 4 feet apart and 6 foot center to center for an approximately 300 foot long installation.
The use of a precast box culvert to replace the existing round culverts was also an innovative solution. The culvert carried the Salt Creek West Branch through the project limits, discharging to a retention pond on the south side of American Lane. The project’s Resident Engineer described the excavation for the culvert installation as a “giant bathtub running the length of the roadway.”
Of course, the stormwater still had to be managed during construction of the new box culvert. To accomplish this, a temporary bypass pumping system was installed. A 24” diameter pipe at ground level ran parallel to the road connecting the upstream box culvert to the detention pond. At the north end, a temporary concrete wall was constructed to prevent the overflow from flooding the construction zone.
Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design Considerations
National Parkway provides access to many corporate and retail commercial businesses. The project greatly improves this access both functionally and aesthetically supporting the community economically. The installation of the roundabout, the multi-use path for bike access, and the improved pedestrian facilities soften this intersection and make it safer and more accessible for all modes of transportation. Bicycle and pedestrian transportation are now a viable option on a roadway and intersection that had been primarily used by vehicular traffic. Also, roundabouts are considered to be safer for pedestrians due to traffic calming.
Replacing large intersections with roundabouts includes a number of sustainable benefits. Roundabouts improve traffic flow which is said to reduce emissions and fuel consumption and improve air quality. Converting the pavement to a single lane in each direction at the roundabout also decreased the amount of impervious surface within the project limits, thus reducing the amount of stormwater runoff flowing into the storm sewer and downstream waterway.
The installation of the new large box culvert that runs under the roadway conveys the Salt Creek West Branch through the project limits to a retention pond on the south side of American Lane. This improved stormwater management system takes storm water off of the roadway and adjacent parking lots mitigating the potential for major flood events that would impact the local businesses.
Civiltech also works to encourage young people to consider a career in engineering, supporting the future of the industry through many volunteer and mentoring programs. In June of 2024, we welcomed two students from Township High School District 214 for a 30-hour internship. In addition to four full days of learning sessions including presentations and hands-on activities, the students enjoyed a site visit to the National Parkway project site. As a result, one of the students expressed having a newfound appreciation of the study, planning, and background work that can be involved in an intersection or roadway improvement.
Project Complexities
Many businesses are accessed along this stretch of National Parkway. As such, coordination with property owners added complexity to the Phase II work. An Illinois Secretary of State branch is accessed from National Parkway, and commercial property owners expressed concerns about the potential of losing tenants if access was negatively impacted.
Civiltech’s design team was originally working from a Phase I preliminary design. Part of the Design work included making modifications to the preliminary design to minimize impacts to the various businesses. Also, the maintenance of traffic plans and construction staging involved an additional layer of substaging to the commercial lots. 
Reconfiguring a large traditional intersection to a roundabout involved land acquisition and coordination. The Civiltech design team engaged impacted property owners to understand and address their concerns with the land acquisition aspects of the project. The design team worked with our in-house land acquisition team to coordinate and collaborate with property owners through individual meetings and presentations.
The project presented complexities in the construction phase as well. The site is located near a helicopter pad thus requiring extensive coordination with the FAA for the new lighting installations. The heights of the fixtures required approval by the FAA, and each temporary and final light pole required its own permit for installation.
The installation of the Vibro concrete columns also presented complex coordination due to overhead power lines that conflicted with the column installation locations. Overhead lines had to be deenergized and disconnected so that they could be moved out of the way of the vertical auger used to install the columns. The contractors had a limited time frame to have the power lines out of service and complete the work creating complex scheduling and coordination.
Funding, Stakeholder Engagement, and Meeting the Schedule
This was an expensive project with many design components located in a tight area. Civiltech worked through the Council of Mayors to assist the Village in securing additional funding. Also, the project was broken into packages to maximize funding sources available. The team was able to access Rebuild Illinois funding for the roadway improvements south of American Lane so that construction of this section could be completed while land acquisition was completed for the roundabout section.
During construction, Civiltech’s Phase III team worked on behalf of the client to ensure business owners and stakeholders were actively engaged. The Resident Engineer hand delivered notices to businesses with construction updates and was always available for questions. Weekly project updates were provided to the Village for inclusion in their construction process database. The Village and all stakeholders were kept fully informed of all construction activity.
National Parkway is the site of a parade that had been prescheduled. This provided scheduling and project milestone challenges that needed to be met in order to provide a safe and functional parade route. The parade and event were a success due to the proper planning and communication that Civiltech provided with the event planners, the contractor, and the Village.