Harms Road Resurfacing Complete, Pedestrian Improvement Projects High Priority

President Toni Preckwinkle stopped in Glenview last week to highlight a number of significant Cook County Highway Department construction projects in the village and throughout the northern section of the county.

During an outdoor press conference along Harms Road near Wilmette Avenue, Preckwinkle announced that the

Pedestrian friendly tops projects list

This year, pedestrian construction projects are also high on the county’s priority list, according to a press release. 

The Highway Department is working on connecting sidewalks along Harms Road that lead to the Forest Preserve District’s North Branch Trail at Wilmette Avenue. Once completed, the project will provide a safer crossing for users from surrounding areas, including Glenview, Skokie and unincorporated Cook County.

“In a few short months, more people will be able to enjoy a beautiful walk during the spring, summer and fall,” Preckwinkle said at the conference.

This type of neighborhood sidewalk-and-trail connectivity is in keeping with the Complete Streets Ordinance recently adopted by Cook County, Preckwinkle shared.

“The ordinance takes into consideration all users of the public right-of-way, including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and citizens with disabilities. This project was made possible by the collaborative effort of the Highway Department, the Forest Preserve District and the Village of Glenview.”

Going green

Additionally, in keeping with the county’s Sustainability Initiative launched at the start of Preckwinkle’s administration, one of the road repair projects will use recycled material.

Penny Road from Dundee Road to New Sutton Road is a 3-mile recycling, widening and overlay project. The Highway Department will use an environmentally conscious green process that includes recycled material.

“My administration supports and encourages environmental sustainability,” Preckwinkle said. “So I’m especially proud that we are employing a green recycling process to improve our roads.”

Other projects

The Highway Department has a number of other significant projects in the works. 

• Lake Cook Road from Wilmot Road to east of Pfingsten Road was recently completed. The Highway Department is continuing work on this major east-west corridor.

• Lake Cook Road from east of Pfingsten Road to Waukegan Road will be reconstructed and widened starting in the spring of 2013.

• This year and into next, the Highway Department will continue to replace existing signal equipment with new energy efficient LED modules on all traffic signals. The LEDs have many benefits over the old incandescents. They consume significantly less power and have a longer life—eight years versus two—thereby saving dollars. In addition, they are brighter, which enhances intersection safety. The Highway Department estimates that 80% in energy savings will be realized from replacing incandescent signals with LEDs.

• There are also a number of rehabilitation projects. These primarily consist of patching or base repair to the existing pavement and a final surface treatment. These projects include:

o   Bartlett Road from Lake Street to Golf Road

o   Quentin Road from Illinois to Northwest Highway

o   Mount Prospect Road from Northwest Highway to Busse Road

Information courtesy of President Preckwinkle's office.