Roundabout to be built at Deep Lake Road and Depot Street in Antioch will be 12th in Lake County
Construction of what will be Lake County’s 12th roundabout will require the closure of Depot Street at Deep Lake Road in Antioch for 100 days this summer.
Nonmotorized improvements also are planned for the immediate area as part of a $2.87 million contract awarded Tuesday by the Lake County Board.
Berger Contractors Inc., of Wauconda was the lowest responsible bidder for the work, which includes incentives to finish early and penalties if the intersection is closed more than 100 days.
The single-lane roundabout is the first part of a two-year project planned by the Lake County Division of Transportation for the Deep Lake Road corridor, to include another roundabout, a bike path and resurfacing.
An initiative to upgrade and modernize the entire stretch of Deep Lake Road from Route 132 (Grand Avenue) in Lake Villa to the Wisconsin state line included resurfacing last year from Route 132 to Route 173.
A study of the section from Route 173 north to the state line included public and individual meetings with residents in the area, according to Shane Schneider, director of LCDOT and county engineer.
“Ultimately, we determined the preferred alternative was to construct two roundabouts,” he said during a recent overview.
The second phase of the project planned in 2027 will include resurfacing Deep Lake Road between Route 173 and the Wisconsin state line; construction of a multiuse path from the Walmart entrance to North Avenue; and, a roundabout at North Avenue.
“Both of these intersections are currently controlled with a stop sign so this will be a big safety improvement,” Schneider added.
He said LCDOT worked closely with the Antioch Fire Department, which has a station on Deep Lake Road and Antioch Elementary District 34 regarding Hillcrest Elementary school on Depot Street.
County Board Chair Sandy Hart in announcing the projects said roundabouts are proven to reduce serious crashes and keep traffic moving.
“They are a key part of modernizing our transportation system to be safe, more efficient and better equipped for the future,” Hart said.
The awarded contract for the roundabout and associated work at Depot Street was $2.87 million but $3.55 million was appropriated as a contingency.
The funds come from County Option Motor Fuel Tax, a 4-cent-per-gallon gas tax. The contentious measure was approved by a 14-7 vote in March 2021 as a new revenue source for transportation-related projects.
About $5.3 million in those funds also were appropriated Tuesday by the county board for a bike path and sidewalk improvements along Washington Street from Sextant Drive to Almond Road in the Gurnee area.
“Those funds give us the flexibility to really move on these projects to make our transportation network safer,” said Jennifer Clark, chair of the county board’s public works and transportation committee, which recommended both projects.