Milwaukee Avenue widening targeted
Relief may be coming to travelers in the Libertyville and Gurnee areas as Lake County prepares to issue the first batch of bonds backed by a regional sales tax increase approved more than two years ago.
By the end of the year, county officials intend to issue $32 million to widen nearly three miles of Milwaukee Avenue from Route 137 north to Route 120 and improve the Milwaukee Avenue/Route 137 intersection. Work will also include an overpass to connect trails on either side of Milwaukee Avenue.
The groundwork for the project has been done but funds for construction have not been forthcoming from the Illinois Department of Transportation for the state route.
"It's the big bottleneck," said Marty Buehler, the county's director of transportation.
The $32 million bond issue is the first batch in what eventually will be $100 million in bonds backed by sales tax, intended to advance large projects that likely would not have been done otherwise.
"This is the first issuance on this to move projects forward, which is what we promised the residents," said Lake County Board member Diana O'Kelly, chairman of the public works and transportation committee.
The $100 million in bond proceeds originally were to have been split between state and county projects. But since Milwaukee Avenue is the only state project ready to be built, it will be the only one to be funded by the county.
"We're paying for construction. They have to wrap up all the loose ends," Buehler said. "This project has been around for years."
Pending final agreements, IDOT is expected to put the Milwaukee Avenue widening project out to bid next June, he added.
The remaining $68 million in bond funds will be used for one or more of four county "challenge" projects in the works: Rollins Road/Route 83; Fairfield Road/Route 176; Washington Street west of Lake Street; or, Fairfield Road/Route 134.
Lake County has benefitted from a transit bailout package approved by state lawmakers in early 2008. Sales tax for mass transit was increased a quarter percent and collar counties received another quarter percent to be used for transportation or public safety projects.
Lake County officials designated all the proceeds for transportation. Though receipts have been $3 million or more short of the expected $28 million per year, it still has allowed the county to more than double its road work budget.
The added sales tax revenue has been designated for a variety of uses, such as the construction and relocation of Peterson Road at Route 60 and engineering for the Route 45 Millburn bypass.
By issuing the bonds before the end of the year, the county will be reimbursed a third to half of the interest payments through two federal stimulus programs.