A map showing the detour route during Checker Road construction (Art: Lake County Department of Transportation) 

Tulips are back, and with them the start of road construction and repairs all through Lake County. 

Road construction projects announced recently by the Lake County Division of Transportation include $117 million in infrastructure improvement projects. LCDOT says the nearly 30 projects scheduled for start or completion in 2025 will increase driver and pedestrian safety, improve mobility and reduce carbon emissions across the county’s transportation system.  

Besides roadway resurfacing and reconstruction, work will include intersection improvements, bike and pedestrian accommodations, resurfacings and bridge and culvert maintenance.  

Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said the work is a continuation of a long-term plan to modernize roadways and other transportation infrastructure throughout Lake. 

“Over the next six years, the Lake County Board is dedicating more than $850 million to modernizing and maintaining our roads, bridges and paths,” Hart said. “This investment ensures we can meet essential transportation needs for all who travel in Lake County.” 

Numerous other “non-motorized transportation” improvements are planned as well, according to Lake County Board Public Works and Transportation Committee Chair Jennifer Clark.

“Lake County’s transportation program goes beyond just roads,” Clark said. “We aim to expand travel options for all residents commuting to work, visiting local businesses, enjoying forest preserves and accessing Pace and Metra stations.” 

Among the improvements are new paths, sidewalks and other pedestrian ways alongside roadway projects.

As always, drivers are asked to watch for flaggers on the roadway, and road closures and detours as work proceeds through the summer and into the fall.  

Construction will continue on Arlington Heights Road, which saw work initiated in 2024. A 1.5-mile section that runs through Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and unincorporated Lake County will be reconstructed. The roadway, which was originally built in 1980, will see the removal of existing concrete, a new aggregate base laid down and new asphalt installed. An enhanced storm water system with increased rainfall capacity will be built as part of the project, and additional sidewalks will be added to the west side of the road to create a continuous pathway.  

Detours have been in place since the second week of April, with Checker Road west of Arlington Heights Road limited to one lane of eastbound traffic within the project limits over the 1.5 miles of construction. LCDOT says access to businesses west of Arlington Heights Road will be detoured to use Schaeffer Road through April and sometime into May.  

In northern Lake County, Deep Lake Road from IL 132 (Grand Avenue) to IL 173, through Antioch, Lake Villa, and Lindenhurst, will undergo resurfacing, along with numerous other improvements including widening paved shoulders and regrading and culvert replacements to improve drainage alongside the roadway. 

“Crews have been busy removing and installing storm sewer between IL 132 and Grass Lake Road,” LCDOT said in a release. “The contractor will continue installing storm sewer, and stripping topsoil. Pavement removal and curb and gutter removal is expected to begin in the near future.”  

Besides milling and resurfacing the existing pavement, the existing shoulders will be widened to provide a 4-foot paved bike-friendly pathway. The work will also add a northbound to eastbound right-turn lane at Grass Lake Road to help improve traffic flow at that intersection.  

An existing “skewed intersection” on Dowell Road will be eliminated by the construction of a roundabout, and the Fisher Road intersection with Darrell Road will be improved by adding a roundabout to replace the existing one-way stop-controlled intersection.  

A bike path will also be constructed between Fisher Road and Case Road/Neville Road, with a portion of the path becoming part of the Grand Illinois Trail. 

Several major roadway intersections are targeted for upgrades. Hunt Club Road at Washington Street will see the addition of dual left-turn lanes and a right-turn lane on all legs of the intersection. Gaps in the path along Washington Street will be paved, and a new path along Hunt Club Road installed, with an extension of the bike path north to Dada Drive.  

Contractors will reconstruct the intersection at IL 59 and Grand Avenue and install new, modernized traffic signals. Also planned are new left-turn lanes, along with sidewalks and multi-use paths that connect to Grant Community High School. 

Additional turn lanes and new pedestrian signals will be installed at the Wadsworth Road at Lewis Avenue intersection, along with a new shared use path from the intersection that will connect to the regional Robert McClory Path.