Arlington Heights Road completion still on target

Despite mammoth traffic jams at times from a combination of snow and construction Tuesday, there appears to be hope for drivers who typically use Arlington Heights Road in southern Lake County.

Glen Petko, an engineer for the Lake County Department of Transportation, said snow and other inclement weather won't prevent Vixen Construction crews from continuing concrete patching and other work on Arlington Heights Road.

Work on began in August on the stretch of busy thoroughfare from Lake-Cook Road to Route 83 in Buffalo Grove. Petko said poor weather may slow some parts of the job, but completion still remains on target for sometime next week.

Concrete patching and curb replacements were the focus of the $1.5 million project.

"We're hoping it'll last at least 10 to 15 years. ... We're just trying to delay the time and money we'd spend to reconstruct the road," Petko said Tuesday.

Full reconstruction of Arlington Heights Road from Lake-Cook to Route 83 could cost at least $20 million and take two years, he said.

Arlington Heights Road runs about 2 miles from Lake-Cook to Route 83. That stretch of road is about 30 years old.

"It's a big job," said Division of Transportation Director Martin Buehler. "This is a concrete highway that hasn't been repaired for 30 years."

Lake County transportation officials also expect work to conclude soon on the addition of a through-lane on Buffalo Grove Road from Route 83 to Deerfield Road in Buffalo Grove. The Arlington Heights Road work is about 2 miles to the west.

A synopsis of the project in a Tuesday meeting packet for the Lake County Board states more concrete patches and pavement reinforcement bars were needed than originally projected for Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove roads.

On Arlington Heights Road, the final part of the job will entail a grinding of the surface's right lanes to make them smooth.