KDOT’s Steve Coffinbargar Named Project Manager of the Year for Leadership on Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor
Steve Coffinbargar, Kane County Division of Transportation’s (KDOT) Assistant Director of Transportation – Project Development, was awarded the 2024 Project/Program Manager of the Year by the National Association of County Engineers at its annual conference in Schaumburg. This recognition highlights his more than 36 years of public service, culminating in the completion of the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor, which opened to traffic last fall. For the past 19+ years, Assistant Director Coffinbargar oversaw all environmental studies, engineering, land acquisition, and construction for this monumental project.
The cornerstone of the $205 million corridor is a new bridge that provides an additional route over the Fox River. The entire corridor stretches 5.6 miles—from Huntley Road on the west to Illinois Route 62 on the east—and includes a bike and pedestrian path connecting to the Fox River Trail. The road passes through portions of the Villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville, and Barrington Hills, as well as unincorporated areas of Kane County.
Kane County initiated the Longmeadow Parkway project in 1991 as part of the Fox River Bridge Crossings Study. A subsequent Federal Environmental Impact Statement received its Record of Decision (ROD) in 2002. Kane County then pursued engineering, land acquisition, and construction in continuous stages until completion in 2024.
An initial federal earmark of $4 million provided the “seed money” for the project. Over the last two decades, KDOT assembled a funding package consisting of federal, state, and local funds to cover the total project cost. The total cost—including environmental studies, engineering, land acquisition, and construction—was $205 million. Construction costs alone totaled $117 million.
Originally, Kane County planned to fund the bridge component of the project through toll revenue supported by bonds. However, over the past two years, the County successfully secured an additional $30 million in state and local funding, allowing for bond defeasance and eliminating the need for tolls.
Steve personally spearheaded all toll-related activities associated with the project. Until 2024, Kane County was a full voting member of the E-ZPass Group of toll agencies. Under Steve’s leadership, KDOT established third-party contracts to manage roadside toll collection, back-office services, customer service, and toll violation collections. While tolling was ultimately not implemented, Steve’s efforts helped secure an additional $27.5 million in state funding, along with $1 million each from adjacent Cook and McHenry counties.
The project faced numerous challenging hurdles. For example, after construction had already begun, Longmeadow Parkway became the first project in the country to be affected by the newly-listed endangered species—the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. The listing was so new that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had not yet developed mitigation guidance. KDOT collaborated with USFWS to create the initial protocols. Another major challenge involved the approval of a Section 4(f) park replacement property that was initially granted by the National Park Service, only to be unexpectedly rescinded several years later. Additionally, a massive pile—38,695 cubic yards—of lead-contaminated soil (spent ammunition from a former shooting range) was discovered directly in the center of the new roadway alignment. Under Steve’s leadership, KDOT calmly navigated each of these obstacles—and many more—delivering a high-quality, high-value project to the community worthy of this prestigious national recognition.
Learn more about the work and planning that goes into Kane County roads at https://kdot.kanecountyil.gov/Pages/Default.aspx
