Department of Transportation and Highways Undertakes Projects Throughout Cook County

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved funding today for projects designed to boost economic development and quality of life throughout Cook County. The projects are part of Invest in Cook, an initiative of Connecting Cook County, the County’s Department of Transportation and Highways’ (DoTH) long range transportation plan.

The projects include:

78^th Avenue Reconstruction

DoTH is funding preliminary engineering for the complete reconstruction of 78^th Avenue in the Village of Bridgeview from 71^st to 79^th streets. This truck route serves 12 manufacturing, trucking and meat processing companies that, together, employ more than 1,600 workers. This stretch of 78^th Avenue also has a residential component and includes a school, requiring careful planning to reduce conflicts and ensure safety. 

North Branch Trail Connection

DoTH is funding design engineering for the extension of the North Branch Trail in the Village of Niles from the intersection of Touhy and Caldwell avenues to the existing North Branch Trail just south of the Bunker Hill Picnic Grove. The extension will include traffic signal modifications and a pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Touhy and Caldwell avenues, providing access to the bus stop and shelter. The North Branch Trail will provide a dedicated off-street route for both bicyclists and pedestrians, with the goal of minimizing their interaction with vehicular traffic and reducing pedestrian and bicycle-related crashes in the area.

South Deerfield Commuting Study

DoTH is investing in a feasibility/planning study led by the Transportation Management Association of Lake-Cook in partnership with the Village of Deerfield. This transit study will identify and evaluate commuting options for residents, guests and workers. One focus of the study is to address needs of residents who work at times not served by existing transit service. The study will also focus on the southern section of the Village of Deerfield, which primarily consisted of office and commercial space and now has a variety of developments, including hotels and senior apartment units. Existing transit service was designed largely to provide reverse commute service during weekday mornings and evenings.