After 20 years, 'last piece' of work could start on Lake Co. road project

Motorists who think Washington Street in central Lake County has been under construction forever are mistaken. It's only been 17 years.

In 1993, Washington between Route 41 and Green Bay Road was widened to four lanes, the first of what would be several sections of the well-traveled east-west route to be improved.

Since then, the county has invested nearly $53 million widening pieces of the 14-mile route, which runs from Sheridan Road in Waukegan to Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Park.

But an end could be in sight. County transportation officials are refining plans to widen 1.5 miles of Washington between Lake Street in Grayslake and Hainesville Road, a $28 million project that will include an underpass beneath the Canadian National/Metra tracks.

"This would be the last piece" to be widened to two lanes in each direction, said Paula Trigg, director of planning and programming for the Lake County Division of Transportation.

A separate project in the works would add only a center turn lane to Washington west of Hainesville Road, she said.

Washington is being improved section by section, much like Butterfield Road, which was completed in early 2008 after 10 years.

The process is moving ahead as 63 people last week attended an open house on the proposal.

Input will be considered for possible revisions to the plan and a public hearing will be held this fall.

Mike Kalstrup, a member of the Highland Lake Property Owners Association, which includes homes north of Washington, said residents knew it was a matter of time.

"You want your street to be quiet, but you know it was going to happen," he said.

Between 14,200 and 16,300 vehicles travel the route each day, a number that is expected to increase to 18,000 by 2030 - and that envisions a Route 120 bypass being added to the mix.

Rear-end collisions accounted for more than half of 158 crashes reported between Lake Street and Hainesville Road from 2005 to 2008, a sign of stop and go traffic.

A typical two-lane road can handle up to 14,000 vehicles a day safely and efficiently, according to information presented at the open house.

That means the road is already over capacity and with 26 access points including driveways and side streets, it can be jammed solid.

"There are times I stayed in my driveway and shut my truck off," Kalstrup said.

Under the plan being considered, the two-lane road would be widened to four lanes with a center lane for left turns where needed. Storm sewers will replace open ditches, and the bike path on the south side of the road would be replaced.

Residents want assurances that storm runoff will be properly treated before being discharged into Highland Lake. Kalstrup said there also is concern about the safety of children having to cross five lanes of traffic.

"I hope that's something they focus on," he said.

Studies of the flood plain, wetlands, trees, bike path, air quality and traffic continue. Based on available funding, construction could begin in 2013.

Visit washingtonthoroughfarestudy.com to make a comment or review information regarding the proposal.