Major improvements to Randall Road will include widening from two to three through lanes in each direction, with dual left-turn lanes northbound at Miller Road and a single left-turn lane southbound at Miller. (Screenshot of McHenry County Division of Transportation video) 

As preparatory work for the $63.5 million phase two construction of Randall Road wraps up in the coming days, McHenry County officials are taking steps to keep the public informed of the impact on the driving environment.   

Drivers using Randall have seen traffic signal work and median removals since early March. The county has been posting regular updates on the project on its website. 

Officials will hold a “Project Open House” from 5-7 p.m. April 29 at the Lake in The Hills Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate Road, to inform residents on details of the improvements, construction impact, detours, and lane closures.  

Major improvements to Randall Road will include widening from two to three through lanes in each direction, with dual left-turn lanes northbound at Miller Road and a single left-turn lane southbound at Miller. 

The roadway widening will require that the existing Randall Road bridge over Woods Creek be replaced. The tributary to Woods Creek will be rerouted to the west side of Randall Road. A new bridge will be constructed for the tributary to pass beneath Miller Road. 

The cross streets at the Randall/Miller intersection will be widened as well to allow vehicles to enter Randall Road more efficiently. New sidewalks will be installed on the west side of Randall, with an 8- to 10-foot wide multi-use pathway on the east side. Also, on the east side of Randall, a new decorative concrete noise wall will be installed from Woods Creek to Miller Road and from Miller Road to Roosevelt Street. 

Scheduled work throughout the spring and into summer, work will involve primarily utility relocation and the temporary traffic signaling. Crews began installing temporary traffic signals at Miller Road and Alexandra Lane in late March. At that same time, medians north of Acorn/Polaris to Miller Road were removed. 

Last week workers filled in the areas where medians were removed from north of Acorn Lane/Polaris Drive to Ackman Road, in order to prepare for temporary pavement. Parkway work continued with the removal and stockpiling of topsoil, which will be reused later in the project. As crews prepare to install temporary pavement fill in an earthen base for the widened pavement area, drivers should expect lane closures.  

Installation of storm sewer crossings to maintain water drainage is scheduled to start this week and into the first week of May. That will require lane closures as the crews install the pipe across the road and then asphalt patch the trenches.  

The new signal at Alexandra Boulevard and Randall Road has been connected to  power and activation has been scheduled for April 28.  

“Please be aware that this new signal will be active and pay attention in the area,” the county said in a statement on its website. “Once activated, the signal will become a permanent part of the Randall Road improvements, offering full protected access to and from Alexandra in all directions.” 

The scope and duration of the Randall Road improvements have been remarkable. Work has been underway along the major thoroughfare since 2018, with the first phase covering the roadway between Lake in the Hills and Algonquin completed in September 2021. The current construction is scheduled to be completed in 2027. 

The approximately $63.5 million in Phase Two road work is being done under a joint venture arrangement between Plote Construction Inc. and Dunnet Bay Construction. Federal funding covers approximately 80 percent of that cost, with the other roughly 20 percent coming from state motor fuel tax funds. McHenry County officials say they have been setting aside portions of those funds for years in preparation for the current project. 

Data released by the county shows the significant growth in the county since 1950, and the considerable projected growth over the next 15 years. Population grew from 50,656 in 1950 to 147,897 in 1980, and over the subsequent 30 years that more than doubled to 308,760. That is projected to increase to more than 513,000 by 2024. 

The population growth is in addition to the massive growth in retail business activity along Randall Road over that time, leading to intersections seeing as many as 9,000 to 10,000 vehicles an hour.  

According to the county’s website, “The plan was to design the corridor to balance safety, access, and level of service. Intersections and businesses close to the actual roadway made some areas of this project challenging, especially at the Algonquin Road intersection.”