The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways was the lead on this project and worked in partnership with Lake County and the villages of Buffalo Grove and Wheeling.

The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways secured $22 million in federal grants through IDOT and $6 million in funding by partnering with the villages of Buffalo Grove and Wheeling and Lake County to improve Lake Cook Road. This project is a key example of how Connecting Cook County, the County’s long-range transportation plan, is working to help accelerate economic growth and foster thriving communities by alleviating roadway congestion, improving pedestrian access/safety, and capitalizing on the taxpayers’ investment by levying Cook County’s funds with federal, local municipality, and private business funding in the area.

The improvements began at Raupp Road and extended 1.5 miles east to Hastings Lane. Previously, Lake Cook Road decreased from 6-lanes to 4-lanes at Hastings Lane, causing congestion issues for residents and commuters. This project widened the 1.5-mile stretch, adding an additional lane in each direction and dedicated turn lanes at each intersection to improve traffic flow and decrease congestion.

This segment of Lake Cook Road presented several challenges for safety and mobility. There were safety concerns along Lake Cook Road and intersections for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists because of a lack of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and ADA compliant crosswalks. There were also concerns about growing traffic congestion due to heavy commuter traffic along Lake Cook Road and arterial roads. Major intersections, including Buffalo Grove Road and IL 83/McHenry Road, needed additional capacity and designated turn lanes to accommodate growing traffic volume. Commuter congestion during the afternoon rush hour was exacerbated due to the previous lane reduction on Lake Cook Road, from a 6-lane roadway down to a 4-lane roadway, east of Lexington Drive. Because of these concerning issues, Cook County’s 2019-2024 Proposed Transportation Improvement Program identified Lake Cook Road as a critical expansion project.

No, this project was different than the Lake County’s Weiland Road Improvement Road project which includes improvements from Woodstone Drive to Deerfield Parkway and from Deerfield Parkway to Aptakisic Road. For more information about Lake County’s Weiland Road Improvement Project please visit the website http://weilandproject.com.

Began in 2020. For a full timeline of construction, please check out the project timeline here.

The project will take place in multiple stages and is expected to be completed by 2022. Pre-Construction Stage 1 began in 2019 which included relocation of utility services and award of the construction contract. Construction Stage 2 will be completed in 2020–this includes the reconstruction of portions of Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove Road, IL-83/McHenry Road, and Weiland Road. This also includes construction of a Weiland Road extension to Buffalo Grove Road, and the addition of a noise abatement wall. Construction Stage 3 will be completed in 2021–this includes the reconstruction of the remaining sections of Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove Road, IL-83/McHenry Road, and Weiland Road. This also includes the addition of a noise abatement wall, permanent traffic signals and installation of street lighting. By 2022, Construction Stage 4 will include the beautification of the project area, updated landscaping along Lake Cook Road, and project completion.

We will update the site frequently but you can also sign up to receive the project e-newsletter. The newsletter will be sent out bi-weekly during peak construction season and monthly during off-season.