$6.7M Lakeview Parkway widening wrapping up in Vernon Hills

A key road project in a busy area of Vernon Hills is wrapping up.

Contractor Peter Baker & Sons laid the first course of new asphalt Friday on Route 60 with similar work planned Saturday on Lakeview Parkway between Fairway Drive and Phillip Road.

“For all intents and purposes, it will be one continuous operation for the next week,” said Chris Venatta, public works director/village engineer.

The $6.7 million project involves widening and resurfacing Lakeview Parkway from Hawthorn Parkway north to Phillip Road south of Route 60. Lakeview is a well-traveled route through business/commercial districts west and south of Hawthorn mall.

Nearly 31,000 vehicles each day pass Lakeview at Route 60. The intersection is being improved with a longer westbound right-turn lane and other elements. Route 60 is a major corridor that backs up at closely spaced intersections, especially during rush hours.

“Improving Lakeview Parkway has been on the list for a long time,” Mayor Roger Byrne said. “Anybody driving through town before the construction project started knows how much traffic moves through that area of Vernon Hills.”

Traffic flow will improve and turns become easier to make, he added.

“We expect it will really cut down on backups during peak times,” Byrne said.

Other elements include a new storm sewer; streetlights upgraded to LED; new traffic signals; 1,800 feet of rebuilt bike path; 400 feet of new sidewalk; and, planting 80 trees.

“For Vernon Hills this is a large project,” Venatta said. “It will be a big improvement.”

For comparison, the village's annual road resurfacing program is about $1.3 million. Vernon Hills secured about $4.6 million in grants from two sources for the project.

Except early delays because of utility issues, the project has run smoothly and is on schedule to be complete by Thanksgiving.

“I think everyone will be very pleased with the finished product,” Byrne said.