Roundabout planned for Lake Villa would be eighth in Lake County
Nearly five years after the first public meeting on the project, construction of a roundabout at Monaville and Fairfield roads in Lake Villa is expected to begin in May.
The Lake County Board's public works, planning and transportation committee on Wednesday recommended approval of a $2.6 million contract with Campanella and Sons Inc. of Wadsworth to build what would be the eighth roundabout in Lake County's road system.
The full county board will meet April 13 to vote on the agreement.
Construction would extend about 500 feet in all directions as the four-way stop intersection is converted to a single-lane roundabout. The area would be closed for 90 days and traffic detoured.
A cul-de-sac to disconnect Old Monaville Road from Monaville Road is included in the project, as are landscape improvements to the roundabout on Monaville and Cedar Lake roads to the east.
As an incentive, Campanella would receive $5,000 per day, for a maximum of 10 days, for finishing early but would be required to pay $6,000 per day, with no maximum, if the project exceeded 90 days.
Campanella's bid was the lowest of four submitted, and about $817,000, or 24%, below the engineer's estimate. The cost is comparable to the roundabout built last year at Wadsworth and Dilleys roads in Newport Township.
Eighty-five people attended the first public information meeting for the project in June 2016. Engineering studies, public outreach and coordination with a stakeholder involvement group resulted in the roundabout being chosen as the preferred alternative.
About 11,000 vehicles a day enter the intersection. Officials acknowledged there weren't significant backups at the crossing, but numerous crashes and near misses warranted a long-term safety measure. According to the Lake County Division of Transportation, roundabouts reduce the number and severity of crashes.
The county's first roundabout opened in late 2010 at Riverwoods and Everett roads in Lincolnshire. Longtime resident and county board member Ann Maine said the idea was controversial at the time, but doubters have been won over.
"People still bring it up," she said. "The people who were huge naysayers make a point of getting back to me."