advertisement

IDOT might delay Route 22 closure after concerns about hospital access

The Illinois Department of Transportation is expected to postpone repairs to Route 22 amid worry about delays for ambulances and patients heading to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Lake Barrington.

IDOT had planned to temporarily close a section of Route 22 to replace a damaged culvert under the road next week, but the work likely will be pushed back to August, spokesman Guy Tridgell said.

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is west of the pending road closure between Harbor Drive and Old Barrington Road. The project has put emergency responders and Advocate doctors on alert because it would have coincided with another Route 22 culvert repair job near Route 59 that has traffic down to one lane.

"Our first concern is always the safety of our patients, and we want to do everything we can to make sure that our community members can get to the hospital as quickly as possible in emergency situations," hospital President Karen Lambert said.

Lake Zurich Fire Department paramedics transport about 150 patients a month to Good Shepherd, Fire Chief John Malcolm said.

"A full closure is going to cause a delay getting to the hospital," Malcolm said, adding that IDOT had met with stakeholders recently and was responsive to their concerns.

State Sen. Dan McConchie, a Hawthorn Woods Republican, said he had reached out to IDOT and Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office on the situation and was hopeful a solution could be found. "We want to be sure everyone's thinking through all of the options and doing what we can to minimize any risk to any individuals," McConchie said.

Tridgell said Thursday the state now will likely wrap up the first culvert project east of Route 59 before embarking on the second.

"We want to make sure we can help address (the hospital's) concerns and look at ways to potentially expedite the work," Tridgell said.

Closing a portion of Route 22 between Harbor Drive and Old Barrington Road is necessary because the culvert dates back to 1925 and is deteriorating, engineers said.

"A full closure is necessary because of the magnitude of the work and the degree in which (Flint) Creek runs at this location," Tridgell said. "Allowing one lane to stay open we believe would not be possible or safe."

A detour to Route 59 and Route 14 is proposed. The work could take five weeks or so.

Work out with puppies at Advocate Good Shepherd fitness center

New chief planner to take helm of regional agency

IDOT project at Route 41 and Grand in Gurnee delayed until late 2020

Barrington Hills envisions Algonquin Road as a scenic parkway

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.