The Rollins Road railroad underpass intersects Route 83, and opened in 2016. It has six traffic signals within 1.2 miles, maintaining traffic congestion during peak travel times. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

The Village of Barrington is still in negotiations for right-of-way land acquisitions that would help propel construction of a railroad underpass on Route 14.

The actions are to facilitate the widening of its intersection with Lake Zurich Road. Increased freight traffic from Canadian National Railways, over the last decade, has effectively impeded vehicle access at all four grade crossings in the downtown area. The crossings are within a distance of 5,918 feet.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is working to purchase the necessary land for the underpass itself. Phase I is completed with design engineering in place, and the Phase II portion involves owning the land outright.

“IDOT is obtaining land for the underpass right-of-way, and the village is looking toward the properties at Lake Zurich Road for widening,” said Village Manager Jeff Lawler. “We have grants applied for, and waiting, but this project can’t get done soon enough. The Elgin, Joliet, and

Eastern Railroad, whose line the CN purchased, used to be a sleepy little railroad with maybe three trains a day, and that was usually at night.

“Now, you have about 20 CN trains per day that are anywhere between 1-2 miles long, and they don’t meet the speed requirements represented to the Federal Surface Transportation Board,” he said. “So, there are major traffic tie-ups, due to trains running slowly through the town. The Aug. 10 suicide tragedy shut down all the crossing grades for more than four hours. The death was tragic, yet it also highlighted our situation.”

Svetlana Petrovska, 49, of Elk Grove Village, stepped in front of a CN train at 2:38 a.m., Aug. 10, near the Barrington Metra Station. Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper issued a statement determining the death as a suicide. “Metra trains were also stopped, during the investigation period,” said Lawler. “The emergency response crews were blocked from getting to the scene. This also occurs in circumstances when they need to get somewhere, and can’t.”

An aerial view of the prosed Route 14 underpass location in Barrington. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

IDOT has committed $4 million toward the land purchases. The Lake Zurich Road relocation project carries a $5.4 million cost, with the village’s contributions pegged at $348,700.  The village’s amount is 10 per cent of the overall $62 million, another 10 per cent through state of Illinois grants, and the remainder from the U. S. Surface Transportation Program.

When the federal government allowed the Canadian National Railway to purchase and lease track lines within its borders, the concept was touted as an alternative routing system. Opponents argued that the increased train flux through numerous smaller cities and county locations would instigate longer vehicle traffic delays on roads with crossings.

Lake County officials have indicated that vehicle traffic congestion in the county’s western reaches was exacerbated by two problems: More freight trains and population boosts from residential and commercial development.

“Population development in the county has been significant over the last two decades, train traffic made it worse,” said Lake County Administrator Barry Burton.

The 2016 underpass opening on Rollins Road has brought its own inherent problems. Seeking to relieve traffic gridlock, coupled with freight train blockages on the roadbed, the remedial work now allows trains to move freely, while the gridlock substantively remains. Six traffic signals operate within a volume-heavy 1.2 miles, from N. Orchard Lane to Hook Drive. Legal actions also evolved over a disputed amount with a retail shopping center owner for easement property.

“A ‘quick-take’ action is different from eminent domain, which normally involves buildings … we needed the Route 83 corner easement, and the former action allows us to work, while it is being settled,” said Burton. “There is a certain time period for negotiations to be completed. We offered what we thought was fair market value of $3 million, and they countered with $9 million citing lost business and the removal of some buildings.”

The Washington Street underpass opened last month, and ties into infrastructure and road improvements leading to Round Lake. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

After the timeframe elapsed, the jury awarded a $7.2 million settlement last month.

July also brought the formal opening of the Washington Street Underpass, from Haryan Way to Lake Street. It incorporated the lane-widening and infrastructure improvements along Washington Street to just west of Hainesville Road, and has drawn rave reviews.

“It’s a great project and benefits commuters in the county in not having to wait for the trains,” said Matt Emde, the Lake County Division of Transportation’s project manager. “There were a lot of headaches but the Aug. 10 opening was the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. The July storms and flooding set things back. The contractor had four pumps going, and the pump station was not online yet. It is now.”

Regarding the increased CN freight train traffic, Emde noted that railroads should provide right-of-way access.

“Railroads were there before the roads, in my view, so they have control. They are obligated to provide roadways, where we have the easement. We have crossroads. They are obligated to provide roadway for traffic, emergency vehicles, fire and police … they are obligated to provide a right-of-way.”

The next major project of east-west traffic congestion, and railroad train blockages, is the intersection at routes 120 and 83. Notorious for vehicle snarls during peak and non-peak travel times, the back-ups to Lake Street on the west, and Atkinson Road to the east, are common.

Conveying traffic from Waukegan to McHenry, an estimated $16 million cost has been associated with widening and adding lanes to the intersection. Constructing a railroad underpass, similar to the two already in place and one in process, adds an estimated $16 million stand-alone cost.

Emde said the intersection is under review for various route considerations.

–Barrington continues dealing with impact of CN trains–