Lake County Residents Sound Off on Route 53 Extension

The Illinois Tollway Authority held a public hearing in Libertyville Tuesday to discuss its $1.3 million 2016 operating budget, which includes $5.3 million to study the environmental impact for the Illinois Route 53/120 Extension Project, according to the Daily Herald.

Over 30 supporters and opponents to the Route 53 extension spoke out during the meeting. Supporters of the plan say an exact configuration for the route has not yet been determined and an environmental study is needed to move forward with that plan, according to the article. The roadway is meant to relieve traffic congestion in Lake County.

Meanwhile, representatives from communities along the proposed road corridor have become more vocal in recent months, the newspaper reports.

Hawthorn Woods Mayor Joe Mancino said he does not want to see the Tollway spend another dollar on the project, which he says would bring low-elevation bridges and traffic to his community, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Route 53 currently ends at Lake Cook Road in Buffalo Grove and the proposed extension plan would bring it up to Illinois Route 120 in Grayslake, which would add 25 miles of new roadway, according to the Chicago Tribune. The project is expected to cost between $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion and would run through the Heron Marsh in Long Grove and the Indian Creek Marsh in Hawthown Woods.

Here is a look at the proposed route for the extension project.

• For more information on the project, visit the Illinois Route 53/120 Corridor Land Use Plan website.
• Read more on the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald.

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