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April 5, 2016
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
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!”
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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.”
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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 Lake County PASSAGE website
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.
 View of Washington Street from the Construction Cam
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.
CONTACT:
Al Giertych, Assistant County Engineer
847-377-7400
DOT@Lakecountyil.gov
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