A section of Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake showing its deterioration, which prompted the improvement project going out for construction bid in early 2017. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

The Lake County Board approved a resolution that effectively “greenlights” a long-awaited realignment of Cedar Lake Road at Route 134 in Round Lake that dates back to the early 1960s, by allotting funds for a Phase I engineering contract, during its Oct. 11 session. Several options for reworking the intersection have been informally discussed although public input could be five years away.

Resolution #16-0910 authorized a preliminary engineering study with Aurora-based Crawford, Murphy, and Tilly, Inc. and a contract in the amount of $766,466 to complete the initial preparations and identify best-use considerations, Metra and public access rights-of-way, along with safety considerations that would enhance ingress and egress with a relocated train station to the east side of the road.

There was a 1970s study that was always shot down, and we’re working in conjunction with the Village of Round Lake on this project,” said Chuck Gleason, the Lake County Division of Transportation’s project manager. “It’s not a good intersection, so you try to look at the future of traffic there and get ready for it.

“The crossroads has a little jog in the downtown of Round Lake, that’s not very efficient, likewise the village has been developing its master comprehensive plan to incorporate a remedial concept there,” he said. “Whenever there’s a Phase I and II, you’re looking at least five years out for actual construction.”

The Phase I preliminary engineering study is expected to take up to 2½ years, with Phase II covering actual implanted design plans and right-of-way land acquisitions. Funding for the Phase II is expected to be sought from grants through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program, and the state retailer’s occupation sales tax monies, at an 80 percent rate. The remainder would come from the village and the county division of transportation.

“Probably, in early 2020, there’d be a public meeting to introduce options and alternates,” said Gleason. “A later public meeting would ask for input on the scenarios. One idea is to move the train station to the east side of Cedar Lake Road, which would make train and pedestrian traffic much easier and much safer.”

The present siting has the Metra train depot on the west side of Cedar Lake Road, causing traffic delays and safety issues at peak travel times. The parameters would extend from Nippersink Road, west to Hart Road. Gleason is also project manager for the Cedar Lake Road dogleg, from Route 120 leading to Nippersink Road. That ancillary project goes to bidding for construction in early 2017, where a three-lane road will replace a deteriorating and constrictive surface.

Nearby Round Lake Park changed at the Rollins Road and Route 83 intersection with a bridge for Canadian National freight lines installed to relieve congestion created from train traffic blocking a raised thoroughfare. Rollins Road now goes under the elevated bridge but has six traffic signals between N. Orchard Street and Hook Drive, a distance of 1.2 miles.

Regarding the Round Lake downtown area, for the Cedar Lake Road realignment project to reach this plateau is a compelling accomplishment.

“As noted, there was a study more than 40 years ago that didn’t gain traction,” said Gleason. “Now’s a good time to revisit this, and the full board agreed.”

Village of Round Lake officials were unavailable for comment at press time.