East-county drivers stuck in traffic every day on Milwaukee Avenue through Libertyille or Route 41 at Delany Road in Gurnee/Waukegan, or the Tri-State almost anywhere, might draw a blank when hearing the words “Fairfield Road.”
But like every other name on that list, Fairfield is a relatively major north-south artery — relative in the sense that only locals really know about it. They also know how valuable it can be for getting around, but there are times to avoid it.
For those who never roam beyond Green Bay Road or Route 45, Fairfield runs about 15.5 miles between Lake Villa and Lake Zurich. It is lined with the occasional subdivision entrance, and it also passes through a dense residential area between Rollins Road and Route 134. But, for the most part, this is one of those old west-county roadways where you go a country mile between intersections, so the posted speed limit is 45 and the guy behind you is up in your trunk if you do anything less than 50.
As with many old west-county roadways, time and development have demanded changes. For at least the last 20 years, Fairfield has been a preferred escape valve to and from Cook County for select commuters. Even though Fairfield dead-ends at Old McHenry Road, a link to Quentin Road a half-mile east basically creates more of a Lake Villa-to-Palatine mini-highway
According to Illinois Department of Transportation traffic counts from 2015, Fairfield carries anywhere from 9,700 vehicles per day as it crosses Route 120 in Round Lake to 12,100 through that residential area south of Rollins. Those figures compare favorably with stretches of roadway like Route 45 through Lindenhurst/Milburn and Route 83 through the Antioch area.
To put Fairfield’s regional importance another way, it was not for nothing that, over the last decade, your Lake County Division of Transportation spent two construction seasons and $9.2 million to carry Gilmer Road completely over Fairfield, and then two more construction seasons and $15 million to modernize the intersection with Route 176 in Wauconda.
Having experienced those crossroads in their 20th-century form, I can testify that the money was well-spent in both cases. This, of course, does not mean that the books have been closed on improvements for Fairfield — in fact, the county is now looking farther to the north.
Next Tuesday the Lake County Division of Transportation plans to host an inaugural public-information meeting regarding improvements to the intersection of Fairfield and Monaville Road. For those who haven’t been through there in a while, the intersection is controlled by a 1960s-era four-way stop sign that controls traffic coming in from 45 mph zones. This makes it a prime spot to hear people honk at one another as everyone works out whose turn it is to move.
According to a division news release, the department is “conducting a preliminary engineering study at the intersection (to) look at potential intersection improvements in order to reduce congestion and improve safety.” In other words, they’re very early in the process, so no solid predictions can be entered. But if you want a hint at how this one might end up, the county put in a roundabout a mile to the east at Monavilla and Cedar Lake Road.
If you’re looking to find out more/put in your two cents, head over to “informal, open-house format” at the Lake Villa Township Office, 37908 N. Fairfield, between 5 and 7 p.m. next Tuesday.
Coincidentally or not, another significant Fairfield Road development arrives the very next day: Starting at 8 a.m. June 8 and running through the morning of June 17, Fairfield will be completely shut down at Route 134 for your basic painful-but-necessary reconstruction of the adjacent railroad-crossing bed.
Considering that the intersection is already sticky thanks to an outdated three-cycle traffic signal that will need its own upgrade someday, drivers in the area can either consider the posted Cedar Lake Road detour or plan for an extended vacation.
Twitter @NewsSunDanMoran
