Improving a Congested Intersection
The Fairfield Road at IL Route 176 intersection is surrounded by the Lakewood Forest Preserve and was heavily congested and in need of increased capacity. Civiltech provided extensive Phase I Study, Design, Construction Engineering, and Post-Construction 5-yr Maintenance and
Monitoring expertise to this challenging project.
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Investigating Alternatives
Three alternates were investigated: standard intersection widening, a roundabout, and a grade separation with a connector roadway. After extensive public involvement and coordination with the Lake County Forest Preserve District, an At-Grade Intersection Improvement was selected as the preferred alternate. Design required careful consideration for potential ecological impacts and recreational connectivity.
Connecting People to Nature
The project was divided into two construction contracts. The first contract included the trail and underpass construction allowing trail users to avoid at-grade roadway crossings, enhancing their connection to recreational, woodland, wetland, and prairie areas of the Forest Preserve. This Nature-based Solution approach provided opportunities for connecting people to nature, habitat creation and restoration, and climate change mitigation.
Naturalized Stormwater Ponds
The second contract included the roadway reconstruction and associated stormwater management. Civiltech designed three naturalized stormwater ponds and restored a remnant ravine channel. Wetland bottom ponds and swales, open water ponds with wetland shelves, aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and ravine and habitat restoration design, all provided water quality benefits, enhanced habitats, and nature-led stormwater management.
Maintenance and Monitoring
Civiltech continued working with the Forest Preserve District, the Lake County Department of Transportation, and the contracted landscaping company through the 5-year Maintenance and Monitoring period, which included the three naturalized stormwater ponds, the ravine restoration area, and the adjacent upland native prairies.
Meeting Performance Standards
This M&M period provided the native species communities, invasive species controls, and in-stream structures the opportunity to meet their performance standards at the end of the 5-yr monitoring period. All M&M plan areas were transferred to the Forest Preserve District at the end of the fifth-year growing season.
This Project Incorporates the Following:
- Complex intersection design
- Design alternative analysis
- Ecological impacts
- Recreational connectivity
- Habitat creation and restoration
- Climate change mitigation
- Naturalized stormwater ponds
- Nature-led stormwater management
Scope of Services
- Roadway and Highway Design
- Alternate Analysis
- Nature-based Solutions
- Ravine Restoration
- Nature-led Stormwater Management
- Pedestrian Bicycle Underpass
- Context Sensitive Solutions Process
- Community Advisory Group
- Public Information Meetings
- Construction Engineering and Inspection
- Post-construction 5-yr. Maintenance & Monitoring
Funding
Local
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