County Board approves $90M for new roads
By Long Hwa-shu Special to The News-Sun April 12, 2011 7:42PM
A freight train passes through the intersection at Route 83 and Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach. The Lake County Board issued $90 million in general obligation bonds for road improvements, including widening at this intersection. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times
Yancey confirmed as coroner
Artis Yancey, former Waukegan police chief, was sworn in as the new Lake County coroner Tuesday.
Yancey promised the County Board, which unanimously voted for his appointment, to bring “the best practice”of the profession to his office to ensure “the utmost quality investigation, and dignity and respect for the victims.”
Board Chairman David Stolman, who nominated him, said he is “looking for professionalism in the coroner’s office and a warm relationship” with the new coroner.
“The coroner’s office is open, functioning and it will be better than ever (under Yancey,” Stolman said.
Yancey replaces Richard Keller, who resigned under a cloud. Sheriff Mark Curran, who served as interim coroner until Yancey’s confirmation, accused Keller of “gross dereliction of duties” following an audit of the Coroner’s Office.
The sheriff’s investigation discovered bones and fragments in the office and scores of pieces of evidence that could not be linked to any victim or case. In addition, the office was 18 percent over budget.
— Long Hwa-shu
Article Extras
Updated: May 14, 2011 12:29AM
Road improvement was heavy on Tuesday’s Lake County Board agenda, with officials approving $90 million in bonds for future highway projects.
A few of the projects include widening the intersection of Rollins Road with Route 83 in Round Lake Beach; upgrading the intersection of Fairfield Road with Route 176 in Wauconda; and a new railroad underpass on Washington Street at the Canadian National Railroad crossing in Grayslake.
Also on the list are a new railroad underpass at the Rollins Road intersection in Round Lake Beach and widening Delany Road, the heavily traveled county road linking Gurnee with Wadsworth and beyond.
For Fairfield Road, a decision has yet to be made whether to build a new interchange or just widen it, said Martin Buehler, director of the Lake County Division of Transportation.
To pay back the $90 million general obligation bond issue, the county will use a portion of its annual .25 percent sales tax for transportation and safety, said Gary Gordon, county director of finance.
Delany Road will be widened starting this fall under a $14.3 million appropriation approved Tuesday by the County Board.
That project will come in two phases with the first phase covering from Tannahill Drive to York House Road in Waukegan, according to Martin Buehler, director of the Division of Transportation.
The second phase from York House to Wadsworth Road will start next year, he said. Bids have yet to be let, Buehler said.
Delany Road, which connects Russell Road near the Wisconsin border and feeds onto Route 41 to the south, is one of the most congested county roads during the morning and evening commute. Delany is an eight-mile stretch in Waukegan, Gurnee, Wadsworth and Newport Township.
Residential growth along the road, especially on the west side, is contributing to the growing bottleneck.
“We’re widening it to ease the congestion,” said Buehler, pointing out that the traffic count on Delany averages 29,000 vehicles a day.
For the first phase, Tannahill to York House, currently two-lane, will be widened to five lanes, he said. Properties on both sides of the road needed for widening have already been acquired, he said.
Tuesday the board approved an additional $25,000 to the $900,000 previously approved for the project. The new appropriation is for use to build curbs, gutters and to meet storm sewer requirements.
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