Route 53 extension: Big pain, small gain

Extending Route 53 into Lake County does not solve the miserable countywide traffic problems we now face. Roadway systems, intersections and signalization are outdated and inadequate for today's Lake County. They are the root cause of our traffic congestion, together with 25 years of population growth and land development. Laying down millions of tons of concrete and steel to extend Route 53 may well benefit a handful of contiguous communities, but at severe cost to our landscape, and bringing more people, more traffic and more development. It provides no solution for countywide roads gridlocked due to inadequate through, turn and bypass lanes, too few railroad grade separations, poor signalization and deteriorated roadway surfaces. In order to use Route 53, traffic must be able to move to and from it without gridlock and congestion.

Phillip LaGro

Hawthorn Woods