State moves ahead with new Route 45 setup

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Mundelein's Director of Public Works and Engineering Adam Boeche talks to Chiuck Stenzel about the widening of Route 45. The Illinois Department of Transportation hosted a public hearing on the widening of US Route 45 at the Sullivna Center on February 7, 2012. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:11AM

Illinois Department of Transportation officials have unveiled their preferred alignment for the proposed widening of a 4.5-mile stretch of Route 45 to four lanes.

The project extends from Route 60/83 on the west to Milwaukee Avenue and Route 22 on the east, running through portions of Mundelein, Indian Creek, Vernon Hills and Lincolnshire.

IDOT is nearing completion of its Phase 1 preliminary engineering and environmental study of the project, which is scheduled to be completed this year. The state has some funding for Phase 2 contract plan preparation and land acquisition for the project, but does not yet have money in its 2012-2017 multi-year program for construction.

The estimated cost for construction of the roadway improvements is $73 million.

Approximately 150 residents and local officials attended a public hearing Feb. 7 in Vernon Hills to voice opinions and concerns about the proposed widening of the heavily traveled section of Route 45.

The plan met with mixed reactions from those attending the hearing.

Tom O’Brien, a Vernon Hills resident and board member for the Sarah’s Glen homeowner’s association, a townhome community on Route 45 west of Milwaukee Avenue, said the state plan is an improvement over the original alignment that was proposed several years ago, but homeowners still have a number of concerns.

‘Work to be done’

O’Brien said the new plan does provide better access in and out of the subdivision, but residents still have concerns about noise and visual impacts of the road widening and the amount of right-a-way that will be taken along Route 45. He hopes the state will consider erecting a berm or fencing along the roadway to minimize potential impacts on the subdivision.

“There’s still work to be done,” he said.

Indian Creek resident Tom Anderson said overall he was pleased by what he saw with the widening plan.

“It looks like it’s a very thorough job,” he said. “I appreciate their willingness to have public input. I hope that they will synchronize the traffic lights so that traffic moves more efficiently.”

Anderson said he hopes the widening project will address flooding issues that occur periodically on the roadway during heavy storms, which have been the cause of several accidents. IDOT has plans to add new drainage culverts and make other drainage improvements as part of the project.

“I hope it controls the flooding situation, particularly in Indian Creek,” he said.

Adam Boeche, director of public works and engineering for Mundelein, said Mundelein has some concerns about proposed barrier medians on the west end of the project, near the intersections of Route 45, Route 60 and Route 83. He said the village is concerned the medians will make it difficult for drivers trying to access businesses in that area.

“We don’t want to see the businesses impacted,” he said.

Buffalo Grove bicycle enthusiasts Jerry Meyerhoff and Dick Schneider attended the hearing to urge the state to include bike paths along the roadway. IDOT has proposed a continuous sidewalk and multi-use path along the roadway for pedestrians and bicyclists, pending cost-sharing participation by the municipalities. Meyerhoff and Schneider said they would like to see a dedicated bike lane along the roadway that would be separate from the sidewalk to improve rideability for cyclists and safety for pedestrians.

Kimberly Murphy, consultant studies unit head for IDOT District 1, said the plan proposes widening the roadway to two lanes of traffic in each direction, with painted or barrier medians along different parts of the stretch. Traffic signals would be modernized and synchronized along Route 45 and major improvements are planned at several intersections including at Route 45 and Route 83 and Route 60 and at the south end of the project at Milwaukee Avenue and Route 22.

As part of the project, eight new box culverts would be installed along the stretch to improve drainage as well as an underground storm sewer system. The Indian Creek Bridge over Route 45 and Milwaukee Avenue would also be replaced.

Murphy said the widening project is designed to meet existing and projected traffic along Route 45, address safety concerns and provide continuity in the road network between Route 60 and Route 22. Traffic counts along the stretch of Route 45 range from about 12,000 to 20,000 vehicles per day depending upon the specific location and parts of the southern end of the corridor rank among the top 5 percent worst in the state for safety based on the number of injury accidents.

“There’s a history of safety issues along that corridor,” she said.

Individuals who were unable to attend the public hearing can still make comments until Feb. 24 via e-mail at us45@transystems. com or by mail to Kimberly Murphy, IDOT Bureau of Programming, 201 W. Center Court, Schaumburg, IL 60196.