BMW Championship ties up traffic in Lake County
The BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest is drawing plenty of fans today — including some spending hours in traffic tie-ups that also ensnared other drivers trying to navigate around Lake County.
In phone calls and on Twitter, fans reported long backups around the venue, especially on Route 60 and St. Mary's Road approaching the parking area at W.W. Grainger Inc. Everett Road in Mettawa. Lake Forest schools warned on Twitter of bus delays.
A Lake Forest police spokeswoman said another parking lot was opened early this afternoon on Riverwoods Road just north of Everett Road in attempts to ease congestion.
Alternate routes aren't much of an option for drivers heading to the event. Both lanes of Everett Road are being used for eastbound traffic, and Riverwoods Road is closed to southbound traffic. Drivers “absolutely” should allow plenty of time for travel today and throughout the weekend-long event, the police spokeswoman said.
The BMW Championship is running complimentary shuttles to and from both Lake Forest Metra stations. The shuttles will run from 6 a.m. to one hour after play concludes.
So far, most people have kept their traffic frustrations in check, the police spokeswoman said. “Pretty much everybody has been pretty good.”