Lcdot - Lake County, IL Division of Transportation

It's hard to believe that it has been nearly 5 years since Lake County motorists drove through "The Millburn Strangler." A project was completed in 2019 that improved Route 45 from IL 132 to IL 173 and created a bypass of the Millburn Historic District. Those who have lived here for a while know it was one of the most congested spots in Lake County. Time flies!

We just made a small change to our chevron signs on Old McHenry Road just west of Fairfield Road. They are now outfitted with retroreflective strips to help increase visibility at night.

Water and drainage have been and will continue to be a big component of our transportation projects. Arlington Heights Road is a great example of that. Over the last few weeks, the contractor has been installing storm sewers down the center of the road and will continue storm sewer installation from Buffalo Creek moving south.

We're very fortunate to have access to water here in Lake County. Sometimes though it can be too much! If only there was an easy way to share our "extra" water with states out west.

Due to high water levels near the drain tiles, the Fremont Township Highway Department is postponing the planned road closure on Erhart Road that was scheduled to begin on July 29. A new project date will be announced at a later time.

The Fremont Township Highway Department will close Erhart Road to through traffic for drain tile replacement. Erhart Road will be closed between Fremont Center Road and Gilmer Road starting the morning of Monday, July 29 and is scheduled to reopen in the late afternoon on Wednesday, July 31. Approximately 200’ of drain tile will be replaced starting at Fremont Center Road heading west along the north side of Erhart Road.

Please use Fremont Center Road and Gilmer Road as an alternate route during these times. The road will be open to local traffic only between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Our friends at Lake County Public Works stopped by with their truck yesterday for an event we hosted with Naval Station Great Lakes. We love posting nice trucks and thought you all might think it looks awesome too!

The Fremont Township Highway Department will close Erhart Road to through traffic for drain tile replacement. Erhart Road will be closed between Fremont Center Road and Gilmer Road starting the morning of Monday, July 29 and is scheduled to reopen in the late afternoon on Wednesday, July 31. Approximately 200’ of drain tile will be replaced starting at Fremont Center Road heading west along the north side of Erhart Road.

Please use Fremont Center Road and Gilmer Road as an alternate route during these times. The road will be open to local traffic only between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Construction at Miller Road and US 12 has begun! The intersection is set to have dedicated left-turn lanes on Miller Road along with sidewalks. If you're driving through here this summer, please drive carefully and watch for crews. The photo below shows the installation of a temporary signal.

Roads, for the most part, are looking good this morning considering last night's intense rainfall. There will still be areas with some water on the pavement, and there may be a few signal outages. We hope everyone has stayed safe during this stormy July. We need a break from this weather, and our team is looking forward to the sunny skies in the forecast over the next few days.

Heavy rain has led to flooded roadways. Several roads are being closed. Remember, TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away. Impacts include:

- Sunset Road between Northwestern and Delany is closed
- Most likely closure on Washington Street
- IL 132 East of O'Plaine is closed
- The underpass is flooded on US 41 west of Delany.

UPDATE: The road is now open.

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Seek an alternate route. Wilson Road in Ingleside is CLOSED due to a crash.

Paul from our maintenance team has some updates to share with all of you!

"The crew is trimming branches back to improve a sight issue on Quentin Road. With all the rain we’ve had, everything is growing like crazy this year, not just the grass. The crew took care of this sight problem as soon as the concern came in. We want drivers to feel safe turning onto our roads. We’ve done several areas like this recently."

"We have another crew doing an asphalt repair on Kelsey. The drive down Kelsey should be smoother now. The crew is using our asphalt planer to grind the old asphalt down, and we’re using our new pickup broom we purchased last year to clean up the mess. The crew switches out buckets and starts laying down the new asphalt. The right equipment makes quick work of this job."

We. Are. BUSY. This is our biggest road construction post ever! Scroll through each photo to get an update on everything we’re working on.

UPDATE: PASSAGE is back up!!

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Happy Fourth of July. As a heads up, the Lake County PASSAGE website and app are currently down. We are actively working to get them up and running. Hopefully, you've made it to your holiday destination already today. Besides a few showers, the weather looks pretty good!

You may have noticed large metal boxes near our intersections. This is one opened up! It's called a traffic signal cabinet and is the "brain" of all the lights. This cabinet is a super deluxe version with added brain power thanks to Ryan. 😉

Old McHenry Road would look different with an underpass at the train tracks.

Starting on July 8 we will be patching County roads with hot-mix asphalt. This is part of our annual pavement preservation program. Here's a tentative schedule (weather can ruin our plans!)

July 8-9: Cedar Lake Road
July 10: Washington Street
July 11-12: Hunt Club Road
July 15: Wadsworth Road
July 16: River Road
July 16: Buffalo Grove Road
July 17-22: Old McHenry Road
July 23-25: Cuba Road

BIG NEWS! The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $18.8 million RAISE Grant earmarked towards the Cedar Lake Road Realignment and Mobility Improvements Project, marking one of the largest federal investments the County has ever received for a local infrastructure project.

Now, realigning Cedar Lake Road in downtown Round Lake is closer than ever before. It was first studied more than 44 years ago! Proposed improvements include correcting the existing broken alignment of Cedar Lake Road, reconfiguring the railroad station and platform, adding nearly two miles of path to close a gap for the planned Millennium Trail, and upsizing the storm sewer system to alleviate local drainage issues.

Wow, 60+ mph winds are no joke. Our team has been cleaning up trees along County roads after an intense storm rolled through the area Saturday night. This is from Delany Road and Hunt Club Road.

Our contractor will be applying pavement rejuvenator, a glue-type substance that can extend the life of a road by five years, to the following locations in the coming days:

- Darrell and Case Road Roundabout
- Gilmer Road – Schwerman Road to the railroad crossing
- Hunt Club Road – IL 173 to the Wisconsin state line
- Kilbourne Road – IL 173 to the north limits of the current - intersection improvement work at Wadsworth Road
- Wi******er Road – IL 83 to IL 21

The maltene-based pavement rejuvenator acts like a glue which creates a tighter road surface. This leads to fewer rocks chipping off, slows the oxidation process, and prevents water from sitting in cracks in the pavement, reducing damage from freeze-thaw cycles.

Traffic impacts are typically minimal as one lane is closed at a time while the rejuvenator is applied. The process takes about 30 minutes. Once applied, motorists may notice an aggregate spread on the road that looks like sand, which prevents the rejuvenator liquid from getting on vehicles while it soaks into the pavement. Motorists should drive carefully on the aggregate covering following application. The excess aggregate is swept up the following day.

Milwaukee Avenue to Close at Rail Crossing in Libertyville on July 8

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that repairs by Metra at a crossing on Milwaukee Avenue (IL 21) north of Lake Street in Libertyville will require a full closure starting, weather permitting, at 9 a.m. Monday, July 8. A posted detour will direct motorists to Park Avenue (IL 176), Butterfield and Wi******er roads. The work is expected to be complete by 7 a.m. Thursday, July 18.

All major work on our Wi******er Road project is now complete! This photo shows the completed bike path, road and one of the new pedestrian islands. Please watch for construction signs and workers while the finishing touches are added over the next few weeks.

We have a big-time project in the works called “Old McHenry Crossings.” Join us at the final public information meeting on June 26 to see the preferred alternative design, ask questions, and much more!

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Time: 5 - 7 p.m.
Place: St. Matthew Lutheran Church Gymnasium, 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods

Four highly traveled regional highways converging to this area, frequent trains and three closely spaced intersections along Old McHenry Road have led to high traffic volumes and delays. Approximately 25,000 vehicles pass through the corridor each day. This project aims to improve safety, traffic operations, and connectivity for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians within and surrounding the Old McHenry Road and CN Railroad area and along Quentin Road in Hawthorn Woods, Lake Zurich, Kildeer and unincorporated Forest Lake.

Riverwoods Road and Duffy Lane are ready to be resurfaced, restored and rehabilitated in the coming years. Let us know your thoughts on our interactive website! https://riverwoods-and-duffy-lakecountyil.hub.arcgis.com/

The project area is Riverwoods Road from Deerfield Road to IL 22 (Half Day Road) and Duffy Lane from Riverwoods Road to the west of the I-94 bridge. The project is expected to include a fresh new asphalt surface, the evaluation of wider road shoulders, improved roadway drainage, and enhanced non-motorized travel opportunities that would include a new path along Duffy Lane.

Looking at a traffic signal from your car sure looks different, right? This signal that chills with us in our TMC is what we call a "three-section standard". But others have four and five sections too!

Let us know if you ever see a bulb out at a County highway intersection. Here's the direct email to Ryan and the PASSAGE team: [email protected]

What the heck. Why are we placing rocks all over Aptakisic Road!? The answer is we're building something beautiful... at least in our eyes.

This is the formation of a road base. A road base is a layer of aggregate typically comprised of crushed rock and gravel used as a road foundation. It helps distribute vehicles' weight evenly, preventing road cracking or deformation.

And now you know. If someone asks if you learned something new today, tell them you learned what a road base is!

Choo Choo! Our friends at Metra launched a survey and it would be AMAZING if lots of Lake County residents responded. The survey will assist Metra with its evolution towards a regional rail service model – which calls for service throughout the day rather than prioritizing peak morning and evening trains. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/metra2024

Rollins Road in Fox Lake is on our list to improve in the coming years. Let us know your thoughts here: https://rollins-and-grand-lakecountyil.hub.arcgis.com/

Improvements are expected to include expanding the road so it has a consistent turn lane running down the center, adding new sidewalks and paths, and improving drainage along the roadway. The project is in its early phases, with construction currently targeted for 2028.

We were recently asked "What are the purple flowers that are planted by the roundabout in Gurnee/Wadsworth?" These purple flowers are called Catmint. Our team is flattered that people like them!

Yes! Asphalt paving has begun on the south side of Aptakisic Road between IL 83 and Twin Oaks Blvd. Crews have also started excavating the new road base from Twin Oaks Blvd to the park district entrance west of Buffalo Grove Road.

Please continue to watch for workers and trucks while driving through this area.