Route 120 recommendation nears
Crawling west on Route 120 through Grayslake during the evening provides an easy lesson on why big improvements are sought for the east-west spine of central Lake County.
Just how big and in what form that will take on a 14-mile stretch from Route 12 east to Route 41 in Waukegan is taking shape and has been narrowed to four choices.
After more than two years of study, the only sure things are doing nothing or widening an existing stretch west from Grayslake are not options. However, all the choices include a seven-mile bypass in that area.
As road projects go, this one would be massive, with an estimated cost of $521 million to $941 million. Funding is the big question, and any work is years away.
Yet public interest remains high in advance of an expected decision Dec. 10 regarding the type of road a new Route 120 will be. Choices range from a four-lane boulevard intersecting all existing streets to a six-lane expressway with limited access.
Should it include roundabouts, traffic signals or a combination? Would it resemble a suburban boulevard with traditional interchanges, or would it be an expressway?
"There will be some challenging choices and some trade-offs," said Al Giertych, assistant county engineer.
More than 300 people poured through a two-hour open house Wednesday night at Prairieview School in Hainesville to gather information and browse an array of exhibits. Public comment is being accepted at info@120now.com.
"I was amazed and gratified at the turnout," said Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes, chair of the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council since its inception in early 2006.
It consists of 11 municipal representatives and five Lake County Board members, supported by four task forces. A cornucopia of factors involving traffic, land use, environmental impacts and other issues have been compiled, compared and contrasted, each with pros and cons.
A push is under way for a four-lane, at-grade boulevard. That design is supported by the Liberty Prairie Foundation, Lake Forest Hospital, which is converting its acute care center in Grayslake to a free-standing emergency facility, and more than 100 area residents.
Supporters say that option would link existing roads and act as a connector not a barrier to communities along the route. It also would provide access for business development, enhance the potential for public transit and trails, would be the least expensive to build and could be built in phases.
Gentes said leans toward a four-lane option as do Grayslake officials.
"We're more concerned that whatever is built needs to handle the traffic today and in the future," he said. "I don't think a six-lane makes any sense right now."
Lake Forest Hospital CEO Thomas McAfee took it a step further, writing in comments to the council that the company prefers roundabouts for intersection control.
The work of the corridor council is to forge a consensus among affected parties on a preferred type and location for the Route 120 improvement. Once chosen, it becomes the foundation for more specific study by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The placement of the road and a financing strategy will be determined next spring.