Lake County officials mark big safety improvement project at Stearns School Road and Route 41 near Gurnee

Intersection upgrades at Stearns School Road and Route 41 near Gurnee wasn’t the biggest or flashiest project the Lake County Division of Transportation has tackled but it’s expected to have a big impact in the area.

Celebrations marking the end of road construction projects aren’t held often but county leaders gathered Friday at a small, after-the-fact event to recognize the importance of this one.

About 50,000 vehicles go through the intersection daily. More than 100 crashes, some resulting in serious injuries and fatalities, were reported over a five-year period, said Alex Carr, LCDOT spokesperson.

LCDOT led engineering and land acquisition phases and the Illinois Department of Transportation managed construction of the $6 million project.

The majority of work including pavement was completed after a full construction season in 2024 resulting in delays as it is one of the busiest intersections in the area. New traffic signals were activated a few weeks ago.

“The project improves overall safety, traffic operations and intersection geometry by adding new turn lanes and modifying the left turns,” from Route 41 to Stearns School Road, Carr said.

Left turn lanes now are protected with green arrow only timing, a safety measure that reduces left-turn crashes by 99%, he added.

Besides the road work, the culvert beneath Stearns School Road was extended and the storm sewer along Route 41 reconstructed to fit the new road design.

The project received federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funding due to critical safety concerns and to reduce serious crashes.

According to LCDOT, the project achieved a benefit-cost ratio of nearly 6-1 as calculated using federal and state guidelines, a required step when applying for federal safety funding.

The ratio shows whether a project is a good use of public funds and how it compares to other options, Carr said.

Projects with a rating above 1-1 are eligible for federal safety funding, he added.

Motorists can expect another busy construction season. Visit https://www.lakecountyil.gov/196/Projects for information and Lake County PASSAGE for current traffic conditions.