Future
Illinois 53 has been at the center of a major dispute regarding its northern extension (also known as FAP 342) into Lake County. The studied corridor currently runs from its current terminus at Lake-Cook Road north to a planned bypass for Illinois Route 120 near Grayslake. FAP 342 road signs are posted on roads that would be crossed by the proposed extension, demarking the right-of-way (many villages have not allowed development in the proposed right-of-way). The combined 53/120 extension would form a large T shape in the center of Lake County, with the 120 bypass carrying through-traffic from U.S. Route 12 to the Tri-State Tollway around Gurnee. Once proposed as a freeway following Interstate standards (Interstate 594?), then considered dead, it is now proposed as a limited speed (45 mph) tollway.
The highway has been opposed by several organizations, notably the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club and vocal residents of Long Grove, which lies directly in the path of the Illinois 53 freeway extension. The Sierra Club opposes the roadway extension due to wetlands in the corridor, fear of suburban sprawl and other factors. Instead, they call for expanding existing roads. Funding has also been a long term concern.
Proponents of the tollway argue that congestion in Lake County has already reached economically damaging levels, and the existing network of roads in the county is insufficient for the task; and that future projections call for housing and commerce development to reach the McHenry and Lake County areas regardless of the presence of a new highway. In April 2009, voters in Lake County approved (76% "Yes" to 24% "No") a non-binding referendum in favor of constructing the Illinois 53 extension.
In a separate section to the south, the Illinois Department of Transportation proposed in 1999 of widening Illinois 53 south of U.S. Route 20 (Lake Street) and generally north of Interstate 88 to a five-lane section. Opposition from a citizen group called NIFTI (Neighbors Influencing Fifty-Three improvement) began to lobby for a smaller expansion plan of three-lanes. The road south of Lake Street runs through predominantly residential areas and light industry. The term Context Sensitive Design and Solutions was introduced to the state of Illinois through the efforts of this group.
Read more about this topic: Illinois Route 53
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