Politics & Government

Controversial Rte.176 Improvement Project Gets OK for Phase II

Lake County Board also approves ex-reporter to fill vacancy.

Lake County board members seemed to agree that road improvements at Route 176 and Fairfield Road will impact the rural character of the intersection, which includes four corners of Lakewood Forest Preserve. However, most board members also agreed that improvements were needed and voted to go ahead with Phase II of the project, which will determine which of two alternatives is best – widening the road to seven lanes or building an overpass.

The board approved Phase II engineering design work for the project, at a cost of $1.745 million, to be funded by a regional sales tax.

Raine Ray, an organizer of the citizen’s group Protect Lakewood, spoke out against the project during public comment at the March 15 meeting. She said 1,300 Lake County residents signed a petition opposing the project. Additionally, the ProtectLakewood.com website has 250 comments, from residents concerned that the project will destroy Lakewood.

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Ray questioned the importance of the improvements for traffic flow.

“If nothing is done at the intersection, there will possibly be a minute and a half increase in commuter times by 2030,” Ray said.

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County Board member Steve Carlson of Gurnee said the number of people against the project was significant.

“It’s easy to say it’s an activist group. As the former president of a homeowner’s group, I thought 20 signatures was significant . . . I don’t feel we should ignore this,” Carlson said.

Bonnie Thompson Carter, board representative of Ingleside, said she believed most Lake County residents are in favor of the intersection improvements.

“This is an example of us being ahead of the curve. A majority of residents are asking us to do this,” Carter said.

Lake County Division of Transportation Director Martin Buehler told board members Phase II would provide answers for how to move traffic through the intersection. He said congestion at the intersection could not be addressed through signal synchronization. Buehler said Route 176 is on the priority list for traffic improvements.

 “It’s going to be worse tomorrow if nothing gets done,” Buehler said.

Board member Carol Calabresa of Libertyville said she avoids the intersection due to congestion. She said she recently visited the intersection to see the markers put out by the Division of Transportation and to try to visualize an overpass.

“I was surprised how hard it was for me to visualize. I think we need our forest preserve staff to help us understand the impact of an elevated solutions,” she said.

Ann Maine, chair of the forest preserve district, invited residents to come to forest preserve meetings in April to discuss the intersection improvements. She said since the forest preserve owns the land, that body will make the decision on the improvements. County board members also serve as the forest preserve district commissioners.

“It’s going to be an option of one of two footprints; one takes more land and one takes less land. We’re trying to preserve the land, but also trying to think ahead to make it better for the residents of Lake County,” said David Stolman, county board chair of Buffalo Grove.

In other business at the Lake County board meeting, former News Sun reporter Jim Newton was approved to fill the Dist. 3 board seat vacated by State Sen. Suzi Schmidt. He was sworn-in at the meeting.


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