Lake County Announces 2016 Construction Program

view as a webpage

Lake County Transportation Updates

April 5, 2016 

Lake County Announces 2016 Construction Program

This year, the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) will have $111 million in road projects under construction making for another busy construction season! While about $73 million of that is carried over from projects that were started last year, there will be about $38 million in new projects.

The plan includes 22 projects, 14 of which contain non-motorized travel improvements, such as sidewalk connections, bike paths, or adding bike friendly lanes.

2016 Construction Program Interactive Map

Preservation

A very important component in the 2016 Construction Program is preserving the 300 miles of pavement that make up Lake County’s transportation network. Well planned and executed maintenance and preservation efforts extend the life of a road, before they become costly repairs or replacements. Spending budget dollars for patching and resurfacing is more cost effective than a full replacement.

Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor said, “Preserving our road network is always a top priority because keeping our pavements, bridges and other assets in good condition helps prevent more costly repairs and replacements down the road. If we had to rebuild the existing county roadway network today, it would cost over $1.6 billion!”

Watch for resurfacing work throughout the county on Hunt Club Road, 21st Street, Miller Road, Ela Road, MLK Jr. Drive, Wadsworth Road, Kenosha Avenue, Lewis Avenue, and Buffalo Grove Road.

Bonnie Thomson Carter, Public Works and Transportation Committee Chair explained, “Most people might not be aware of this, but whenever possible, bike paths are added during a reconstruction and widening project, and bike-friendly shoulders are added where appropriate during a resurfacing project. We work with local partners to find opportunities to fill the gaps in the non-motorized network and we are proud of the progress we are making in this effort.”

Bike Friendly Shoulders

Modernization

Lake County is also modernizing the system by expanding the PASSAGE network. Lake County PASSAGE is an Intelligent Transportation System designed to provide motorists real-time traffic and congestion information. Under the Modernization category there are several ITS projects and signal projects to help LCDOT roads operate more efficiently.

Lake County Division of Transportation Director Paula Trigg explained, “By installing new equipment and coordinating adjacent signals we can optimize traffic flow through a corridor. We also just launched a new and improved LCDOT website AND PASSAGE website to bring local roadway information directly to our residents and motorists.”

New PASSAGE website
New Lake County PASSAGE website

Expansion

Expansion projects are typically the most exciting part of the annual construction program because adding capacity to Lake County’s road network makes a big impact and contributes to economic development and quality of life for Lake County residents. A few big projects to note:

Washington Street Thoroughfare:
This year work will continue on the Washington Street Thoroughfare project. LCDOT will reconstruct and widen Washington Street as well as provide a grade separation which lowers Washington Street under the CN/Metra RR.

Hawley Street:
The reconstruction of Hawley Street will be a big project this year as well. A great deal of advance infrastructure work was completed last year in preparation for the reconstruction work to take place this year. Work will really ramp up in mid-April when the eastbound lane will be closed and traffic will be restricted to westbound only.

Ela Road:
LCDOT is working with the Village of Lake Zurich on an intersection improvement and the addition of right turn lanes at Ela Road and US 12 in Lake Zurich. There is also a resurfacing project on Ela Road from IL 22 to Cuba Road. As part of this resurfacing, LCDOT will install bike friendly shoulders and construct new sidewalks to make connections and fill gaps.   

Deerfield Road:
LCDOT is working with the Village of Deerfield and the City of Highland Park to reconstruct Deerfield Road in the Village of Deerfield and resurface Deerfield Road in the City of Highland Park. New traffic signals will be installed at existing locations.  

 

Washington Street Looking East March 2016
View of Washington Street from the Construction Cam

BE IN THE KNOW - Connect with LCDOT!

Interactive Construction Map: Residents can use our interactive map to find the project they're interested in, click on the project and see the latest information and important updates.

Lake County PASSAGE: We're using technology like never before to help residents get where they're going and improve transparency. We continue to expand our PASSAGE system providing real-time, local traffic info on www.lakecountypassage.com, email traffic alerts, twitter alerts and PASSAGE smartphone apps. 

Social Media: Get the latest information, important updates, and take a peek behind the scenes to see the LCDOT in action by connecting with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Email Notifications: Visit our list of topics and scroll down to sign up for General Transportation notifications or information about road closures, bike paths, specific projects and MORE.

Annual Construction Program 2016 Map

CONTACT:

Al Giertych, Assistant County Engineer
847-377-7400
DOT@Lakecountyil.gov