Lake Cook Road Improvements Highlighted by President Preckwinkle as Cook County Concludes Major 2013 Construction Projects

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today marked the end of the county's 2013 construction season at Lake Cook Road, a major arterial thoroughfare in the far northern suburbs that has undergone significant improvements. “In this, the centennial year of the County’s Transportation and Highways Department, I am pleased we have been able to reconstruct or improve 74 lane-miles of roadway in municipalities throughout the county,” Preckwinkle said. “The variety of projects we completed during the 2013 construction season represents our commitment to maintain our roadways in a manner that promotes safety and economic development.” The nearly $9 million Lake Cook project took about five months to complete and should yield numerous benefits for north suburban commuters, residents and businesses along the stretch of roadway. Lake Cook was widened from four to six lanes between Pfingsten and Waukegan roads in both directions. Dual left turn lanes were provided from Waukegan onto Lake Cook. New traffic and pedestrian signals, signage, roadway lighting, sidewalks and landscaping on parkways and medians also were included in the project. Also attending were officials from Cook and Lake Counties, the village of Deerfield and other nearby municipalities. The Lake Cook-Waukegan intersection was a well-known choke point for traffic, with approximately 40,000 vehicles a day driving through the intersection. Improvements to Lake Cook will facilitate workers' access to a corporate office corridor located west of Waukegan, aiding regional economic development, a key initiative of Preckwinkle's administration. “Lake Cook is a good example of how a road improvement project will bring multiple benefits to this region,” Preckwinkle said. “Drivers will see less congestion and better traffic flow. Pedestrians will be safer crossing busy streets, giving them better access to shops and transit. And businesses in the immediate vicinity will be more visible, especially at night with new lighting. Altogether, the County’s Transportation and Highway Department completed 20 projects at a cost of about $42 million during its 2013 construction season. Other major roadway projects this year included: Roadway patching on Schaumburg Road from Barrington Road to Roselle Road. These improvements will eventually supplement the Roselle Road/I-90 tollway interchange project which is set to begin next year. Resurfacing Arlington Heights Road from Brantwood Avenue to Higgins Road in Elk Grove Village. Rehabilitating pavement on 138th Street from Ashland Avenue to Park Avenue in Riverdale and Dolton. Reconstructing and improving drainage for and traffic signals on 88th Avenue from 87th Street to 103rd Street through Hickory Hills and Palos Hills. Reconstructing and improving drainage for and traffic signals on 170th Street from South Park Avenue to the Bishop Ford Freeway in South Holland.