Officials celebrate completion of US 41 and Stearns School Road project

WAUKEGAN – Local officials recently gathered to celebrate the completion of the U.S. 41 at Stearns School Road intersection project in north-central Lake County.

The $6 million project was driven by an important goal to reduce serious crashes. Over five years, the intersection saw more than 100 crashes, including some that resulted in serious injuries and fatalities, according to a news release. Now, with key upgrades in place, motorists can expect a safer and smoother drive through one of the area’s busiest intersections.

To address safety and traffic operations, several improvements were made. A new right-turn lane and left-turn lane were added on southbound U.S. 41, a second left-turn lane was added on northbound U.S. 41, a second right-turn lane was added on eastbound Stearns School Road and a new westbound receiving lane was added on Stearns School Road. Left-turn signals are protected with “green arrow only” timing, a proven safety measure that reduces left-turn crashes by 99%.

In addition to the traffic improvements, the culvert under Stearns School Road was extended and the storm sewer along U.S. 41 was reconstructed to fit the new road design.

The Lake County Division of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation partnered to bring the project to life. LCDOT led the engineering and land acquisition phases, which helped expedite the project, while IDOT managed construction using federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funding.

The project achieved a benefit-cost ratio of nearly 6 to 1, as calculated using state and federal guidelines, a required step when applying for federal funding to determine whether a project is a sound investment and how it compares with alternate projects. For reference, projects with a ratio above 1 to 1 are eligible for federal safety funding.

Learn more about the construction season by viewing LCDOT’s interactive construction map and use Lake County PASSAGE to be aware of traffic impacts in the county.