County officials announced that Route 83 and Winchester Road near Grayslake has been reopened after months of construction to realign the intersection and add traffic lights to improve safety.
The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) closed the intersection of Winchester Road and Route 83 in unincorporated Grayslake on July 7.
The closure was expected to last approximately three months but was extended after an unexpected issue arose with the project, which added over $1 million in costs to the $3+ million project.
The intersection, which was originally scheduled to reopen in October, was discovered to have a larger-than-expected area of poor soil south of Winchester Road.
The issue required additional groundwork to ensure a safe and stable road base.
LCDOT said that while the fix extended the project by about two months, they were prioritizing long-term safety and durability.
The improvement project aims to enhance safety at the intersection, which was previously controlled by a stop sign for westbound Winchester Road traffic and no traffic control device for northbound and southbound Route 83 traffic.
The project involved replacing the existing stop-controlled intersection with a new traffic signal.
Construction crews also realigned the intersection, which has a significant vertical grade change, so the roads meet at a safer 90-degree angle to improve visibility, LCDOT said.
A large box culvert was installed to improve drainage and address flooding that previously caused road closures on the south leg of the intersection.
LCDOT announced on Tuesday that the intersection was reopened last week following the five-month safety-focused improvement project.
“LCDOT thanks its contractors and project partners for their work to reopen the intersection before the end of the year. Most of all, LCDOT appreciates the public’s patience during a longer-than-expected construction timeline,” officials said.