Local drivers in Lake Bluff and Lake Forest are navigating a series of traffic and parking changes, including a major road closure and a new downtown parking system.
In Lake Bluff, Green Bay Road is now closed to through traffic between Route 176 and West Witchwood Lane as part of the first phase of a two-year reconstruction project. Drivers are being diverted primarily to Waukegan Road, with limited local access maintained for residents, according to Village Engineer Jeff Hansen. The first phase is expected to continue through October.
In nearby Lake Forest, the city launched a new downtown parking program on May 1, following City Council approval earlier this year. The plan limits most on-street parking to 90 minutes, with some 30-minute “quick stop” spaces near Deerpath Road and other high-turnover areas. Customer parking lots will offer three hours of free parking, while permit and employee parking will be restricted to designated areas to prioritize spaces for shoppers, according to a city statement.
Lake Bluff’s downtown is also undergoing streetscape improvements, a project that has been underway for several weeks. Businesses have remained open during construction, and the work is expected to be completed in early June, Hansen said.
Additional roadwork is planned in Lake Forest beginning in early June, when a roughly quarter-mile stretch of Green Bay Road between Greenwood and Linden avenues will undergo water main replacement. The project is expected to last through mid-August, with traffic reduced to one lane and directed by crews, city spokeswoman Dana Olson said.
Later this year, Lake Forest plans to resurface streets in the Meadowwood neighborhood near the western section of Deerpath Road, along with improvements to Glenwood Road and part of Ryan Place on the city’s east side.
Lake Bluff is also preparing for additional resurfacing work beginning in May or June, Hanse said. Planned repairs include sections of Armour Drive, Butterfly Court, East Sheridan Place, Belle Foret Drive and West Sanctuary Lane.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
