The Village of Barrington issued their latest Main Street traffic alert yesterday:
“On Wednesday, December 7, 2022 starting at 9:00 AM, the Union Pacific Railroad will be repairing a portion of their rail crossing at Main Street. While the road will remain open during this work, with flaggers on-site to direct traffic around lane closures, it will impact travel times.
Please anticipate delays and plan accordingly. This maintenance work should be completed by the end of day on Wednesday. More comprehensive repairs to this crossing are currently planned to take place in the spring.”
“IDOT has been working on concrete patching at the intersection of Main Street and Northwest Highway as they finalize their Main Street project. Additional removals and patching work will take place early this week.
IDOT anticipates having the entire intersection reopened on Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and then will return the week of November 28th to complete any remaining patching work.
In addition to this work, Public Works is coordinating concrete patching on Route 14 adjacent to 340 W. Northwest Highway (Garfield’s Beverage Warehouse) to restore a section of roadway and curb that was impacted during a water main repair earlier this year. The road will remain open in both locations, but lane closures and construction operations may impact travel times, please plan accordingly.”
The concrete patching taking place at the intersection of Lake Cook Road and Northwest Highway is part of the Main St resurfacing project being completed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
The overnight lane closures in place right now are necessary due to the nature of the concrete patching process. IDOT has indicated that the open patches will be poured either tomorrow, Friday 11/18 or Saturday 11/19.
They will continue with removals early next week and aim to reopen the entire intersection on Wednesday 11/23 before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
There will be another round of patching the week after Thanksgiving but this is expected to be completed by the end of the week, Friday 12/2.”
No, that’s not a typo. It’s not a practical joke either.
Roads & Bridges Chair Laura Ekstrom chose the absolute busiest day of the year at Village Hall to have her own special Roads & Bridges meeting consisting of one (1) agenda item today. And, her special meeting is scheduled at 3 PM, a time when many people vote since they leave their workplaces early.
Turnout for early voting this year has been brisk. The parking lots have frequently been seen nearly full, and yesterday lines were forming to vote, thus increasing frustrations.
Common sense would dictate alternative dates be chosen by Ekstrom, or short of that, a Zoom meeting be scheduled if there was no alternative. Clearly, this escaped her.
A copy of her agenda can be viewed here, and if you find yourselves trying to vote this afternoon but unable to park, we know who you have to thank.
The Barrington Hills Police Department is investigating a serious traffic crash at Route 59 and Route 68 which will require this intersection to be closed for the next several hours. Accordingly, it is strongly suggested that motorists plan alternative routes and avoid this area.
Hart Road between County Line Road and Northwest Highway in Barrington will reopen Tuesday, village officials announced. The road has been closed since June for a $3 million Lake County Department of Transportation project that included construction of a new bridge over Flint Creek. (John Starks | Staff Photographer, June 2022)
Hart Road between Lake-Cook Road and Northwest Highway in Barrington will reopen to traffic Tuesday, almost two weeks ahead of the original target date of Nov. 4, village officials announced.
The road, which travels along the west side of Barrington High School, has been closed since June for a $3 million Lake County Division of Transportation project that included construction of a new bridge over Flint Creek. Work crews also removed three aging metal culverts and added a bike path along the east side of the road.
Village officials said Hart Road still needs a second layer of asphalt. Paving operations will take place after school traffic wraps up in the mornings. The road will remain open during paving, but delays will occur.
Editorial note: In a clear effort to further “DARCH” already struggling retailers, the Village of Barrington is considering eliminating parking on Park Avenue.
“Today the Village of Barrington unveiled proposed concept plans for Park Avenue Plaza, a community gathering space and al fresco dining opportunity they hope to create in downtown Barrington. To do so, they’d permanently close a stretch of Park Avenue east of Cook Street, creating community space for outdoor dining and gathering with overhead string lights, Adirondack chairs, benches, open lawn, planters, landscaping, water fountains and additional pedestrian walkways.
Park Avenue Plaza would only impact parking directly outside McGonigal’s Pub, not the existing parking adjacent to the Metra train tracks where the Barrington Farmers Market used to be.
Village President, Karen Darch, says this would be a priority project they’d bring to life in the next couple of years should Village of Barrington voters approve the Home Rule Referendum on the ballot in the November 8th election. Early voting is already underway.
Village trustees, along with Karen Darch, say approval of Home Rule means the Village of Barrington could benefit from a projected $1-million+ increase in annual revenue from a 1% Home Rule Sales Tax that would NOT impact groceries, prescription drugs or auto sales. Instead, it would be paid, in part, by non-Village residents who patronize local restaurants and businesses. They’d use those funds to invest in roads, sidewalks, bike paths and beautification for the Village of Barrington, among other projects.
The proposed Park Avenue Plaza is one of many local improvements Village leaders hope to advance if voters approve the referendum which only about 43% of voters approved when it was last on the ballot back in 2014.”
The 2022 Barrington High School Homecoming parade is tomorrow morning:
“The BHS Homecoming Parade gets underway at 10:15am on Saturday, Oct. 1. All participants will leave from the METRA Station and march down Main Street to BHS. Alumni floats line up behind all the high school student entries, with the exception of the 50th Reunion Class which will take their place in the front of the parade.”
Since resurfacing construction continues along the most of the parade route, trust us when we write there is little that cannot be accomplished in downtown Barrington before 9:00 AM. So, unless you’re participating in or viewing the festivities, we strongly suggest getting an early start tomorrow.
A list of 2022 Homecoming activities can be found here. Enjoy.
Construction crews continue working on a new Hart Road bridge over Flint Creek in Barrington. The road remains closed until early November. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer)
Crews are making progress on the Hart Road bridge project in Barrington.
The road was shut down last June between Lake Cook Road and Northwest Highway. The Lake County Division of Transportation $3 million project consists of removing three aging metal culverts and replacing those with a bridge over Flint Creek.
An 8-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian path will also be added to the structure.
There is currently no through traffic on Hart Road from Northwest Highway to Lake-Cook Road (Main Street), though local traffic will be allowed on either side of the creek.
The closure impacts nearby Barrington High School. Access to the school and the athletic complex can be made from Lake Cook Road.
According to Lake County’s Sept. 12 update, current work includes pouring concrete on the south approach slab, north side excavating and grading the approach footing and building the road base on the south side of the bridge. Wetland plants were also planted along the creek.
“Monday (9/26) the Contractor will complete milling work on Main Street adjacent to the CN railroad tracks under the supervision of CN railroad flaggers and will begin paving operations at one or both of these railroad crossings, which will continue on Tuesday (9/27).
There will be delays associated with lane closures in this area during this work. The Contractor’s flaggers will maintain two-way traffic. Manhole grade adjustments will also be underway on Main Street throughout the Village during the rest of the week and into the beginning of next week.
Be alert when driving or walking in the construction zone, as this work will raise the structures approximately 2″ above the pavement so they are at the final roadway surface elevation. The placement of the final asphalt surface is anticipated to begin at Ela Road and move westbound beginning early next week.”
“CONSTRUCTION UPDATE November 17, 2022
