Darrell Road is a two lane north-south major collector linking IL176 to IL120 through the village of Island Lake and Wauconda township. Under the jurisdiction of the Lake County Division of Transportation, it intersects Case, Neville, Dowell,and Fisher Roads within the project area.
These stop-controlled intersections meet Darrell Road at skewed angles, making turning movements difficult. Improvements to these intersections will be investigated as part of the engineering study. Traffic data collected for the project indicates that during morning and evening rush hours, drivers use Darrell Road to avoid the signalized intersection at IL120/US12/IL59. Future development in the area will likely affect travel patterns and will be considered in the development of improvement alternatives. The project also aims to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities within the study area, including a future connection to the Grand Illinois Trail. This project is currently in the feasibility and conceptual design study phase. At this time, existing conditions are evaluated, purpose and need for improvement is developed, public input will be gathered and considered, and a wide range of design possibilities will be identified and evaluated. The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) is hosting the second of several open house/public meetings on March 9, 2016 to share and gather information.
Update: May 2021 – The project consists of 3 intersection improvements along Darrell Road at Case Road/Neville Road, Dowell Road and Fisher Road. Case Road will be realigned to connect at a roundabout with Neville Road thus eliminating this offset intersection. Dowell Road will be realigned to join Darrell Road with a roundabout eliminating the existing skewed intersection. The Fisher Road intersection with Darrell Road will also be improved by adding a roundabout to replace the existing 1 way stop controlled intersection. Construction will also include a bike path between Fisher Road and Case Road/Neville Road and a portion will be a part of the Grand Illinois Trail. It is anticipated that these 3 intersections will be constructed in a 2 year phased approach starting in 2022 but is dependent on property acquisition and project readiness.