Rt. 22 work creates danger zone, some say

Rt. 22 work creates danger zone, some say
Originally published Friday, June 16, 2006

By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer

At first, construction on Route 22 through Buffalo Grove and Long Grove caused the usual mutterings around town.
As with any road project, residents were frustrated with progress.
Aaron Underwood, a Long Grove resident, set up a Web site, www.lgbgroads.com, to log some of those complaints.
Complaints escalated to fears, however, at this week's Long Grove village board meeting as residents talked of the roadwork creating dangerous situations.
Debby Keyes, who lives in the Promontory Ridge subdivision along Hampton Drive, said a right-turn lane into her neighborhood has been permanently eliminated, leaving no room for residents to slow down on the 45 mph speed limit road before they turn.
Keyes and other residents also said it's nearly impossible for them to make a left turn onto Route 22 because construction barriers block their view.
Because that is their only two-way entrance point for the neighborhood, they said, they often have to make that turn blindly.
"We are an accident waiting to happen," she said.
Residents said they also get cut-through traffic trying to get to Route 83 via Port Clinton Road, putting their children in danger of cars driving through their neighborhoods at high speeds.
Pam Newton, Lake County board member and a new resident of the subdivision, suggested setting up a meeting with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Lake County Department of Transportation, the village and the neighborhood to address some of the more dangerous situations.
Village President Maria Rodriguez agreed to set up a meeting as quickly as possible so that any life-threatening situations can be taken care of.
"Some of the short-term actions could be taken right away," she said.
Rodriguez said the village would also try to plan for a later meeting that would look at some of the long-term concerns about Route 22.
Those concerns include a right-turn lane and regulating traffic at the Route 83 intersection so that cut-through traffic is limited.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed we get some quick response," Keyes said.
"This situation has been going on for so many months now; we want to see something positive here this summer," she added.