Improvements to Stearns School Road intersection celebrated; ‘Really highlights just how important this project is'
Lake County officials last week celebrated the completion of improvement work done at the Stearns School Road and U.S. 41 intersection, which saw more than 100 crashes over a five-year period, including some resulting in fatalities.
Jennifer Clark, chair of the Lake County Public Works and Transportation committee, said the $6 million project highlights how an intersection improvement can make a 'major' upgrade to safety and traffic flow for drivers.
'This is the first time we've held a celebration for an intersection improvement like this, and I think that really highlights just how important this project is, not only for this community, but for the future of our transportation system,' Clark said during a celebration of the project's completion.
While such improvements 'may not always make the biggest headlines,' they will make 'a real and lasting difference' for residents.
Kevin Carrier, assistant county engineer overseeing the capital projects team, said the project was to improve the safety of the Warren Township intersection. The improvements will allow 'safer and smoother' driving for motorists through one of the area's busiest intersections, a county news release said.
Changes include the addition of new right- and left-turn lanes on southbound U.S. 41, a second left-turn on northbound U.S. 41, a second right-turn lane on eastbound Stearns School Road and a new westbound receiving lane on Stearns.
Left-turn signals now have a 'green-arrow only' phase, the release said, which has been shown to reduce left-turn crashes 'by 99%.'
In addition to the traffic improvements, the culvert under Stearns School Road was extended, and the storm sewer along US 41 was reconstructed to fit the new road design.
The release said the project was a partnership between the Lake County Division of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation, with LCDOT leading the engineering and land acquisition phases while IDOT managed construction using federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funding.
According to Carrier, the project had a benefit-cost ratio of nearly 6 to 1. The release said that was calculated using state and federal guidelines, and is required when applying for federal funding. For reference, the release said, projects with a ratio above 1 to 1 are eligible for federal safety funding.
Clark noted how it and other projects around the county, including a train track underpass and new sidewalk and bike paths, help better connect Lake County.
According to Clark, in 2025, 64% of the county's projects, representing $75 million of a total $117 million construction program, are focused on modernization improvements. She said these projects are designed to increase safety, reduce delays, close 'sidewalk and bike path gaps,' and cut down on carbon dioxide emissions.
This year, there will be another busy construction season in Lake County, officials said, including reconstruction and resurfacing work across the county, and new roundabouts being installed at key intersections. Numerous projects include the inclusion of shared-use paths.
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