Billions for a Route 120 bypass in Lake County? Some residents warn it’s a pricey ‘pie in the sky’

There’s little disagreement among Lake County residents that Route 120 is fraught with time-wasting, crash-causing gridlock.

That’s why local and state officials have spent decades seeking a solution with limited results.

But a new state study is off to a rocky start, with some stakeholders dismayed that a Route 120 bypass idea, which they consider counter-productive, has surfaced in discussions.

“The idea of a Route 120 bypass has been studied for many years and consensus has remained out of reach,” current Grayslake Mayor Elizabeth Davies said. “That is largely because the impacts to neighborhoods, sensitive wetlands and existing development are significant, while the costs are extraordinarily high.”

“It’s over $2 billion and no one is going to finance it,” said Bill Morris, a former Grayslake mayor and state senator, who warns the “pie in the sky” bypass could take years to build.

The Illinois Department of Transportation Route 120 Planning and Environmental Linkages study extends from Almond Road near Grayslake to Route 60 in Volo. That stretch of 120 includes busy rail crossings that tie up traffic and configurations that shift between two and four lanes, causing bottlenecks.

The state is “currently exploring various alternatives to address safety, congestion and multimodal transportation needs,” IDOT spokesperson Maria Castaneda said.

Grade separations, additional lanes and the bypass are all on the table.

“No preferred solution has been identified (and) nothing has been ruled in or out as yet,” she added.

Engineers offered several options for the bypass that include five-lane corridors of varying lengths located south of Route 120. The longest alternate would stretch from Almond to west of Wilson Road; others were shorter.

In terms of cost, “estimates are being developed,” Castaneda noted.

IDOT reports that 11% of vehicle collisions in Lake County occurred on Route 120, with 1,263 between 2017 and 2021. And more than 57% were rear-end crashes.

Midwest Sustainability Group Executive Director Barbara Klipp warned the bypass will cause environmental damage because “it goes through critical, natural protected areas and endangered species habitats.” Those include prairies, marshes and wetlands.

Grayslake, together with neighboring towns, has developed the Belvidere Corridor Road Capacity Plan that would address congestion along with being affordable and having local support, Davies said.

“Rather than waiting on a bypass that may or may not happen, we encourage the state to fund the improvements to Route 120 that are ready to deliver benefits now,” Davies added. “These investments would provide real relief for residents and strengthen the entire corridor.”

Simpler solutions for Route 120 include adding a third lane for turning, limiting turns onto side streets during rush hour and constructing rail overpasses/underpasses at Route 83 and other locations, Morris noted.

IDOT contends the “study is designed to ensure that all reasonable alternatives are given fair and objective consideration, in keeping with federal requirements. Public and stakeholder engagement is a central part of this process,” Castaneda said.

“IDOT will continue to hold meetings and gather input as alternatives are refined.” For more information, go to il120study.com/project-documents.

Gridlock alert

Drivers in the West Chicago area can expect delays on Garys Mill Road from Route 59 to Roosevelt Road with intermittent lane closures starting Sept. 15. IDOT crews will be resurfacing and building new sidewalk ramps. Work should wrap up in December.

One more thing

Drivers tooling along the northbound Tri-State Tollway can take a break at an upgraded plaza in the South suburbs. The rebranded 163rd Street — now Markham Toll Plaza — offers an I-PASS Customer Service Center for help with accounts. The plaza also has 29 parking spots for commercial trucks and additional amenities.