$13 million project to eliminate Buffalo Grove bottleneck complete

After 18 months, work to rebuild and widen a busy section of Aptakisic Road through Buffalo Grove and Long Grove is substantially done.

Fresh pavement is complete, construction signs and traffic controls have been removed, and new traffic signals are in place along the 1.2-mile stretch from Route 83 to Buffalo Grove Road, according to the Lake County Division of Transportation.

The announcement Monday marks the end of a $13 million project that began in June 2023.

Construction included building an additional travel lane in each direction and a road median with left turn lanes. A multiuse path was built on the north side of Aptakisic and a sidewalk on the south.

Other elements include new underground storm sewer to improve drainage, concrete curbs, guardrails and a wider shoulder to better accommodate on-road bicyclists, according to the division of transportation.

Improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity was a priority and the new path and sidewalk fill a gap between Buffalo Grove and Long Grove, said Alex Carr, LCDOT spokesperson.

About 20,000 vehicles a day travel that stretch of Aptakisic, which was considered capacity for the previous two-lane roadway.

Planning to address increasing traffic demand and the lack of pedestrian and bicycle connections began more than a decade ago, and construction was approved after several public meetings.

The design is intended to eliminate a “pinch point” on the western part of Aptakisic Road, which runs from Route 83 to Route 21 in Lincolnshire. The entire length of Aptakisic is now five lanes.

While the project is substantially complete, drivers should watch for workers as cleanup continues. For more information, visit the project website https://www.lakecountyil.gov/3404/Aptakisic-Rd.