‘They agree to move, we agree to pay’: Gas line relocation key part of Route 83/Winchester Road intersection reconstruction
The dangerous intersection of Winchester Road and Route 83 near Grayslake is going to be corrected, but the project comes with some seldom encountered quirks for the Lake County Division of Transportation.
Besides the “superior rights” of a natural gas line easement from the 1960s west of Route 83, portions of the realigned and rebuilt intersection will sit atop 10 feet or more of spongy peat. Stabilizing the rebuilt road and a box culvert being replaced, will require 195 columns sunk up to 15 feet and filled with stone.
Those “geo piers” also are needed so the road won’t settle and to raise its profile to keep water off, according to LCDOT.
The Lake County Board on Tuesday awarded three contracts totaling about $3.74 million for the project, first studied seven years ago. Advance work is expected to start in coming weeks. Construction to realign Winchester and install a traffic signal and turn lanes on all four legs is planned for next year and will require a 90-day road closure.
Winchester Road ends at Route 83 and intersects at an oblique angle. There is only a stop sign at Winchester and no dedicated turn lanes. According to LCDOT, 25 crashes, 11 with injuries and one fatality were reported from 2018 to 2022.
Lake County Board member Jennifer Clark, who chairs the board public works and transportation committee, described it as among the most dangerous intersections in the county and said she avoids driving that way.
“I'm so pleased (LCDOT) has made this critical project a priority and that safety and traffic flow will be improved,” she said.
Getting there will have some added layers.
The main contract is with Campanella & Sons Inc., of Wadsworth for $3.27 million. As Route 83 is a state road, the Illinois Department of Transportation will reimburse Lake County half the construction cost up to $1.55 million.
The county board also appropriated $432,000 to relocate 600 to 700 feet of Nicor's natural gas line near the intersection. Though located outside the current road right of way, it needs to be moved for the project and is considered a “superior easement,” explained Matt Emde, principal engineer/project manager for LCDOT.
“It’s a rare circumstance, mostly in the western part of the county,” he said. “They agree to move, we agree to pay.”
A similar situation arose in 2018 on a project to rebuild Quentin Road in Kildeer and Lake Zurich. That line cost millions to move but was a transmission line. The Winchester line is a 4-inch service line, Emde said.
The third contract authorized Tuesday was $42,965 to SEECO Consultants Inc., of Tinley Park to oversee the “ground improvements” portion of the project concentrated on the south leg of Route 83 south of Winchester Road.