Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked questions. Click on a question to expand the answer.

How will Lake Zurich Road connect to Route 14 following the project?

You may recall that in April 2018, the Barrington Area Library Board voted to discontinue discussions about re-routing Lake Zurich Road. This “Preferred Alternative” plan, which was approved during the community input phase of the underpass planning in 2012, would have rerouted Lake Zurich Road to intersect with the current light at Berry Road in order to remediate the current dangerous intersection with Route 14. In lieu of this work, Lake Zurich Road will be lowered at its current location to tie into Route 14.

U.S. Route 14 is under the jurisdiction and maintenance of the Illinois Department of Transportation, who during the design development for the proposed intersection configuration, stated that left turns onto southbound Route 14 would not be allowed from Lake Zurich Road for safety reasons. The safety concerns have to do with a number of factors including traffic, sight lines, structural elements and the curvature of the roadway.

The Village is very supportive of a traffic signal at Route 14 and Lake Zurich Road and strongly advocated for such a signal with the State, but has been informed by the Illinois Department of Transportation, who owns and operates Route 14, that a traffic signal will not be considered at this location until the operation of the new intersection can be evaluated following the underpass project.

The Village will remain committed to working towards the installation of a signal at this location and has coordinated with our design team to ensure that, as part of the underpass project and to the extent possible, the area around the intersection is designed and graded in a way which will best facilitate a future signal installation.
How will access to Citizens Park and Lake Zurich Road be handled during construction?

The Village has coordinated with the Barrington Park District to maintain access to Citizens Park during construction. A temporary two lane roadway will connect Lake Zurich Road and the Citizens Park entrance to the four lane temporary roadway along U.S. Route 14 during construction.
Will Route 14 Be Shut Down Completely During Construction?

Route 14 is a State Highway and a Traffic Management Plan is required to be approved by the State for the proposed work. The goal of a Traffic Management Plan is to minimize delay and meet IDOT safety engineering review requirements. To meet these requirements, a temporary road will be built just to the north of the current Route 14 between the Library and Route 59 that will carry all four lanes of Route 14 traffic during the underpass construction. Impacts to traffic will be limited to staging work associated with the transfer of traffic onto and off of the temporary roadway.

An IDOT approved concrete barrier will be installed along the north side of the temporary roadway. Behind this barrier will be a temporary Route 14 sidewalk to provide pedestrian connectivity between Route 59 and Citizens Park and the Library during construction. Behind this sidewalk an 8’ tall wood screening fence (the same as is currently installed along Route 14) will be installed for additional separation and visual screening between the temporary improvements and the Jewel Park neighborhood.

IDOT currently has a weight restriction on the existing Route 14 Flint Creek Bridge, just west of the CN Railroad tracks. There is a truck detour in place using Dundee Road and IL Route 59 for trucks not meeting these weight limits. These weight limits will remain in place until the permanent roadway is complete.

The speed limit will be reduced from 35mph to 30mph on the temporary roadway to address safety concerns while minimizing delays in order to mitigate the potential for cut-through traffic.
Who controls the project? Barrington or IDOT?

Route 14 is a federal highway that is controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). As such, the permitting and letting (selection of contractor) of the underpass will be controlled by IDOT. The Phase I engineering was managed by the Village of Barrington and funded exclusively through federal grants and state matching funds. Phase II acquisition and engineering continues as a partnership between Barrington and IDOT in order to ensure that Barrington has the highest possible level of input into the design and construction of this critical project in our community. The Village has received IDOT approval to manage the construction contract via a consultant which will allow for additional oversight and communication updates throughout the remainder of the project.