Village of Buffalo Grove, Cook County Department of Transportation,
and Lake County Division of Transportation

Lake Cook Road and Weiland Road Improvements

A Phase I Study for a Complex Multi-agency Project

Civiltech provided a Phase I study for the widening and reconstruction of over three miles of Weiland Road and over one mile of Lake Cook Road in the Villages of Buffalo Grove and Wheeling. The objective of the study was to find design recommendations to improve safety and operation on Lake Cook Road, Weiland Road, and IL Route 83 and to better accommodate increased traffic movements. The study also included improving or creating new bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

An Environmental Assessment and a Combined Design Report were prepared. This project included extensive public outreach, including educating and obtaining input from property owners due to highway traffic noise impacts.

Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove Road, and Weiland Road south of Lake Cook were under the jurisdiction of Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways. The Weiland Road project was under the jurisdiction of Lake County Division of Transportation. Due to the separate agencies taking the lead on the project under their jurisdiction, the Phase II work was divided into two different contracts.

Lake Cook Road Improvements – Phase II

The Lake Cook Road Reconstruction project involved the widening and reconstruction of over one mile of Lake Cook Road. The road is being widened and reconstructed with a new concrete pavement to provide three through lanes in each direction. Additional turn lanes are being added at the intersections with Buffalo Grove Road, IL Route 83, and Weiland Road. Weiland Road is also being extended south of IL Route 83 to a new intersection with Buffalo Grove Road at St. Mary’s Parkway in order to improve safety and provide a route that can better accommodate traffic movements to and from Lake Cook Road from the south.

Structural and Water Resources Engineering

The Lake Cook Road project includes the widening in-kind and redecking of the existing single span steel beam structure carrying Buffalo Grove Road over Buffalo Creek and the replacement of an existing triple cell box culvert carrying Short Aptakisic Road over Buffalo Creek with a new, single-span PPC 2-beam bridge. Buffalo Creek is also being relocated to the south in order to allow for the extension of Weiland Road. This impact to the Waters of the US, as well as other impacts to wetlands throughout the project, were permitted through the US Army Corps of Engineers, Lake County SMC, North Cook County SWCD, and MWRD.

Lighting, Noise Walls, and Right of Way

A continuous lighting system was designed throughout the project limits, and new traffic signals were designed for nine intersections. At the east end of Lake Cook Road, noise walls are being installed to mitigate the noise impacts of the wider roadway to the adjacent residential properties. Land acquisition was required from 48 parcels, ranging from temporary easements for minor grading to full parcel acquisition for construction of a large detention basin. Extensive interagency coordination was required throughout the design process.

The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways acted as the lead agency responsible for letting the project, however roadways impacted by the project included those under the jurisdiction of the Lake County Division of Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation, Village of Buffalo Grove, and the Village of Wheeling. Civiltech acted as a liaison between all of the agencies and assisted with the preparation of the necessary intergovernmental agreements.

Weiland Road, Lake Cook Road to IL Route 22 – Phase II

The Weiland Road project consists of the widening and reconstruction of over three miles of Weiland and half of a mile of Aptakisic Road in the Village of Buffalo Grove. The improvements include two through lanes in each direction on Weiland Road and Aptakisic Road separated by a center median to allow for left turn channelization at intersections. This project also includes the construction of a new roadway on a new alignment that will link up Weiland Road directly with IL Route 22 to improve safety and operation and provide a route that can better accommodate traffic movements between Lake Cook Road and IL Route 22.In addition, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations will be provided.

The proposed improvements at Weiland Road between Woodstone Drive and Deerfield Parkway is a fist Stage towards completing the overall corridor. The proposed improvements include numerous drainage features within the project area including new storm sewers and new detention basin. It also includes the reconstruction of a 12-foot x 7-foot culvert that carries Aptakisic Creek. Civiltech utilized StormCAD and PondPak to develop an Existing and Proposed Drainage Plan that satisfies the proposed improvement needs and meets the requirements of the various agencies including the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Public Outreach and Funding

Due to impacts in the project corridor, an extensive public outreach program was conducted to educate and obtain input from affected property owners regarding implementation of property relocation benefits. Civiltech has assisted the Village of Buffalo Grove, Cook County, and Lake County in securing CMAQ and STP Federal funding for construction of the two extensive projects.