A significant stretch of Green Bay Road in Lake Bluff will be completely shut down beginning April 27 as part of a long-planned, two-year reconstruction project.
Village officials say the overhaul is necessary to address deteriorating pavement, chronic flooding, and repeated water main breaks along the busy corridor.
“The roadway is in very poor condition. It frequently floods during small rainstorms, and we have had quite a few water main breaks on Green Bay Road,” Village Engineer Jeff Hansen said.
This year’s phase of construction will run from Route 176 south to West Witchwood Lane and will include a full roadway reconstruction, storm sewer upgrades and pedestrian crossing improvements, Hansen said.
To accommodate the work, Green Bay Road will be closed to most traffic, with limited access maintained for residents. Drivers will be detoured to Waukegan Road.
Hansen said the first phase is expected to be completed in November. The second phase, scheduled for 2027, will include taking the Union Pacific Railroad bridge out of service as part of the continued reconstruction.
Elsewhere in the village, the Illinois Department of Transportation began installing a new pump station at the northeast corner of the Routes 41 and 176 intersection last month — a key step in a broader overhaul planned for the area.
“The new pump station is designed to improve the storm sewer system at the intersection and will accommodate future intersection improvements,” IDOT spokeswoman Maria Castaneda wrote in an e-mail.
While lanes are not being closed for the pump station installation, crews are on the scene directing traffic.
Castaneda said the pump station project is expected to continue through 2028. Village officials have said a full reconstruction of the intersection could follow around 2030.
The village is also entering a new phase of its ongoing Deep Tunnel project, which includes installing a large stormwater pipe to improve drainage capacity.
On April 2, the village reopened the intersection of Maple and East North avenues. Beginning April 13, crews will prepare for the installation of curbs and gutters along East North Avenue. Hansen said that work is expected to be completed in June.
“We are working on completing engineering for the future phases up to Sheridan Road and into the viaduct at Sheridan and West Scranton Avenue,” Hansen said.
Village Administrator Drew Irvin said two additional phases of the Deep Tunnel work are being planned. The timing will depend on final design completion and whether additional federal and state funding can be secured.
Separately, Hansen noted this month that the village will start to upgrade the downtown streetscape on East Scranton Avenue between Sheridan Road and Oak Avenue. The plans include widening the sidewalks, improving the street conditions and providing more pedestrian space. He believed the project should conclude in early June.
In addition to the larger infrastructure projects, the village plans to begin street resurfacing in May on several streets, including Belle Foret Drive and Butterfly Court, West Sanctuary Lane, Armour Drive and East Sheridan Place. Streets will remain open during resurfacing work.
Sidewalk repairs are scheduled for July or August in various parts of the village.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
