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$15 million second segment of Peterson Road project underway

The second stage of work to create a transportation corridor in central Lake County is underway along Peterson Road, and there is more to come as the construction season hits high gear.

Grading for a widened Peterson west of Route 83 has begun, utility companies have or will be moving their facilities, and storm sewers are being installed in advance of the meat of the $15 million project that picks up where the first improvement ends.

“These two are kind of tandem projects,” said Glenn Petko, engineer of construction for the Lake County Division of Transportation. “They were too big to do together.”

This part of the project calls for Peterson to be widened to four lanes for about 1.6 miles from just west of Route 83 in Grayslake to just west of Alleghany Road. About a half mile of Alleghany will be rebuilt and widened, and another 1.7 miles north to near Route 120 will be resurfaced.

Details will be discussed at a public information open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Road. Exhibits will be displayed and representatives will be available to answer questions. Visitors can stop at their convenience.

Storm sewer crossings need to be installed before work begins on the new lanes, said Dan Martinez, resident engineer. Traffic eventually will be shifted onto the new lanes as the existing lanes are demolished and rebuilt.

“We're trying to get it prepped and ready to go for the first stage,” he said.

Alleghany ends at Peterson and the new intersection will have dual left turn lanes and a right turn lane onto Peterson.

“It should significantly help traffic flow through that intersection,” Martinez said.

Meanwhile, work to install medians continues on the first segment of Peterson from Franklin Boulevard in Libertyville to west of Route 83. The first Peterson project was to have been complete by the end of last year, but unexpected changes for pipeline crossings at four locations along the route led to contract modifications to ensure the travel lanes would be open before the winter shut down, Petko said.

That meant an extra $1.4 million in costs, bringing the total construction bill for that section to $12.2 million.

“A lot of that we're hoping to recoup from the pipeline company,” Petko said.

All road work in that first section is scheduled to be done by June 17, with an additional 20 days allowed for ancillary items, such as landscaping.

County officials long have touted the area as a growth corridor, particularly with the potential extension of Route 53 in the vicinity. That's part of the reason the new road is concrete.

“We're building it more permanent and taking into account this will get a lot of development in the future,” Petko said. “We're trying to get the road ready for what will be someday. It's busy now but it will only be busier in the future.”

The expected completion date for the second segment is June 30, 2016.

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Peterson Road work key to county

Road work not expected to hamper Lake County Fair

  Construction equipment lines Alleghany Road just north of Peterson Road in Round Lake Park. A public hearing on the ongoing Peterson road project takes place from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake. Mick Zawislak/mzawislak@dailyherald.com
  Road construction has begun on Alleghany Road at Peterson Road in Round Lake Park. It's part of a multimillion dollar project to create a major transportation corridor in central Lake County. Mick Zawislak/mzawislak@dailyherald.com
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