On a quiet morning, two cars approached the Waukegan and Westleigh intersection from opposite directions–both drivers’ views obstructed until it was too late. The crash left one vehicle totaled and added to the growing list of collisions that have raised concerns about the safety of the intersection.
“When both drivers exited their vehicles after the accident, it was clear the other driver was a young and relatively inexperienced driver: most likely an LFHS student headed to a school-related activity,” said Kate Galloway, whose husband was involved in the crash. “Yet despite their age, we felt that they weren’t being reckless or inattentive. Rather, they simply made a mistake at an intersection that is set up for it.”
Although the younger driver was at fault, Galloway said her family felt empathy toward them rather than anger. For years, the Waukegan and Westleigh intersection has experienced frequent crashes and ongoing congestion. Accidents are so common that they leave residents questioning whether the issue lies less with drivers and more with the intersection’s infrastructure.
“This intersection is known for being kind of dangerous, especially when it’s busy because there’s no turning lanes,” said Superintendent of Engineering Byron Kutz. “It’s really been an issue for years.”
Galloway said her family experienced firsthand the dangers of the intersection several years ago. Her husband had been driving southbound on Waukegan when a northbound vehicle trying to turn left pulled in front of him. By the time the drivers saw each other, a crash was unavoidable.
The City has monitored this intersection since 2009, and at their August 5th meeting last year the City Council approved the right-of-way acquisition to expand it.
Because Waukegan is a state-owned road, the City is partnering with Illinois’ Department of Transportation (IDOT) and must follow the IDOT design and plan. While conforming to IDOT’s plan has limited the flexibility in some areas, the project will significantly improve the safety conditions at this accident-prone intersection.
“With a project like this, the actual design is mandated by federal rules and design standards: we weren’t able to incorporate too much resident feedback,” said Kutz.
However, where there was flexibility, the City made adjustments to fit the community’s standards. One adjustment includes decorative light poles near the Starbucks on Waukegan. Instead of standard highway lighting, the City selected fixtures that align with the surrounding aesthetic while still meeting IDOT’s guidelines.
The reconstruction will add two turning lanes on southbound Waukegan–one left-turn lane onto eastbound Westleigh and one right-turn lane into the school entrance. Additionally, improvements will include left and right turn lanes on both roads, upgraded pedestrian signals and crosswalks, drainage system upgrades, roadway widening, and pavement resurfacing.
“These are really big improvements,” said Kutz. “We’re basically having to reconstruct the whole intersection.”
The City received a $2.6 million grant from Surface Transportation Program Funds, a federal-aid funding source, to cover part of the cost. This allows for the construction to begin while minimizing the impact on local taxpayers.
The project is expected to end in July. After utility relocation, the construction will begin next month. If weather permits, it will be complete in five months.
“A lot of times we try to do projects in the middle of the summer–the two or three months that there’s no schoo–but this project will take longer than that,” said Kutz. “The decision was made after coordinating with the school and working with Dan Martin in the facilities department: it makes sense to try to do it earlier in the year and basically get it done before football season ramps up.”
In preparation of construction, telephone poles will be relocated to accommodate road widening in the next couple weeks. During construction, drivers can expect temporary changes to the intersection. This includes lane shifts, changed traffic patterns, detours to pedestrian access, and usual construction effects.
The upgraded signals will maintain a preemption system– the white flashing light on top of traffic signals that alerts traffic when an ambulance or fire truck is approaching.
There will always be at least a minimum of one lane open at a time. Kutz also adds that there will be electronic signs and updates on The City of Lake Forest’s website that will indicate when and what’s going to occur to keep drivers updated with the moving lane closures.
“For these projects, obviously, we need patience from people,” said Kutz. “We’ll do our best to coordinate and mitigate the impacts, but it is construction. There will be lane closures. We’ll also coordinate with the school.”
The City plans to work with the school to encourage students traveling between East to West Campus to use the northern entrance as opposed to coming down to the intersection, reducing congestion.
Director of Facilities Daniel Mortensen scheduled a meeting with the City to ensure that they are aware of the traffic patterns at West Campus during spring sports.
“You might not think so, but if you actually came [to West Campus] at say four o’clock for spring sports, you’d be [wondering] ‘why are all these cars here?’” said Mortensen. “At five or six o’clock at night everybody’s going to be going home at the same time. We just want to make sure everybody’s safe when we are doing this project because it is a dangerous intersection.”
Kutz said the City will remain in close communication with the school throughout the process to address traffic flow concerns and make adjustments to minimize disruptions. The City is also scheduling a public meeting at West Campus in March where anyone can ask questions and address their concerns about the project.
“Residents or students, you guys have as much of a right during this project to reach out to us and give ideas,” said Kutz. “We’ll honestly be working with the school and, if there are opportunities to change something to help with traffic, we will certainly do that.”
The ultimate goal for the project is not only to improve traffic flow but to prevent future accidents and increase safety for students and residents who use this intersection.
“Today my family is grateful to those who have worked to bring awareness and advocate for meaningful improvements at the Waukegan and Westleigh Roads intersection,” said Galloway. “Incorporating protected left-hand turn light signals alone could help prevent future collisions and spare others from similar experiences.”
