Lake County residents who bike along county paths or drive county roads will see nearly $1 billion in construction, resurfacing, and new bike infrastructure over the next five years under a transportation plan that grew by $83 million from last year's version.

The Lake County Division of Transportation outlined its 2026–2031 Transportation Improvement Program in a presentation detailed in a July 20 report, covering $948 million in projects across the county's more than 300 miles of arterial highways and 59 miles of bike facilities. The previous year's plan totaled $865 million.

Kevin Carrier, assistant county engineer for the capital program at the Lake County Division of Transportation, said the increase is driven partly by rising Regional Transportation Authority sales tax revenue. The RTA sales tax funds nearly $430 million of the program, about 45% of the total.

$153 million for bike paths and sidewalks

The plan earmarks about $153 million for bike path and pedestrian projects, which Carrier said reflects the Lake County Board's emphasis on non-motorized improvements. Modernization projects, which include bike paths, sidewalks, traffic signals, and intersection upgrades, account for nearly half the program's total spending.

The remaining funds are split between preservation work (resurfacing, bridge repair, pavement fixes) and expansion (new roads or widening existing ones).

Roundabouts expanding across the county

Lake County has 11 roundabouts open to traffic, three under construction, three in design engineering, and 17 more locations under evaluation. The county's first roundabout opened in 2010.

Carrier said roundabouts are "not a fit everywhere," but their safety record has made them a preferred modernization approach. A standard four-lane intersection has 52 conflict points, including 36 of the most dangerous crossing type. A multi-lane roundabout has 24, with only eight crossing conflicts.

The three roundabouts under construction in 2026 are on Deep Lake Road at Depot Street and two on Russell Road, at Kenosha Road and at Lewis Avenue. The Russell Road and Lewis Avenue intersection closed to all traffic on July 13 for approximately 90 days.

$39 million in projects lack funding

Of the program's $948 million in projects, about $39 million lacks identified funding. Carrier described the funding process as an "assembly line," with state and federal dollars secured as projects advance from planning into engineering and construction phases.

The single largest project in the plan is Old McHenry Crossings, estimated at $151 million. Project planning is underway, with Michael Burke serving as project manager at the Lake County Division of Transportation.

What's next for residents

The TIP presentation is made annually; no separate vote is required to adopt it. Residents can track every project in the plan using the LCDOT's interactive dashboard at lcdot.ecointeractive.com/interactive-map/, which allows filtering by location to find projects affecting specific communities. The county also maintains a Bikeway and Trail Map, a Crash Data dashboard, and a Planned Paths map.

Residents can report road concerns through the Lake County Division of Transportation's online form at lakecountyil.gov/FormCenter/Transportation-7/Report-a-Concern-to-the-Lake-County-Divi-128.