Lake County launches major road projects on routes 60, 83
Like weeds after a wet spring, road construction projects have begun to multiply in Lake County.
On Monday, the Illinois Department of Transportation started two resurfacing projects that are expected to provide months of irritation for motorists.
At nearly 7 miles, improvements to Route 60/83 south and east from Route 120 to Route 176 is the longer of the two, extending through Mundelein, Ivanhoe, Volo and Round Lake Park.
The $2.4 million project is scheduled to be complete in November, but will be particularly vexing for motorists as much of the route is two lanes.
"I'm just glad the state is addressing the pothole issues they had this year. There was so much damage done to cars," said Lake County Board member Diana O'Kelly, who chairs the county's public works and transportation committee.
The other major project that began Monday is resurfacing Route 60 east of Milwaukee Avenue to just west of the Tri-State Tollway through Vernon Hills and Mettawa.
That project is about $1.1 million and is expected to take three months to finish. Complicating that commute is the closure last week of the southbound Half Day Road entrance ramp to the tollway and the northbound exit ramp from the tollway to Half Day Road.
Lake County motorists will have their hands full dodging a variety of planned state and county projects, as well as other projects added with the infusion of federal stimulus money.
O'Kelly keeps her constituents informed with a 1,500-person e-mail distribution.
"I send one out and I get another one," she said. "I'm certainly not complaining because these roads were in dire straits.
After the Fourth of July holiday, Mundelein-area drivers will face another hurdle, with the resurfacing of Route 45 (Lake Street) between Allanson Road and Route 60/83 near Journey's End restaurant.
Daytime lane reductions from four to two lanes are expected.
"Personally, any time we can get road resurfacing it's a good thing. Those streets certainly need it," said Mike Flynn, Mundelein's assistant village administrator.