Into overdrive

Lake County transportation officials kicked off a hardball lobbying campaign the other day to get the proposed Route 120 and Route 53 projects off dream sheet status and into overdrive. It's about time. County voters in an advisory referendum in April sent a clear message to county and state officials that they want Route 53 built from its current abrupt end at Lake-Cook Road north to Route 120 in Grayslake. That ties in nicely with the Route 120 project which proposes widening the state route to a four-lane arterial highway with limited access between Almond Road in Gurnee and Volo, including a seven-mile bypass around the existing path of Route 120 in the area of Grayslake.

The non-binding spring vote should set aside the notion that Route 53 is a "controversial" project and there is a lack of consensus on building the limited-access expressway or tollway. There's no doubt in our collective minds the public wants it, and has wanted it over the last four decades, since it was first proposed as a federal aid urban highway.

We have long believed, and have said so over these many years, that the Route 53 extension is vital to the county's economic future and will be a benefit to central Lake County motorists plagued for years with congested roads. What has been lacking for its completion is funding. Millions of dollars of federal and state aid will be needed.

Which is where the county's lobbying drive comes into focus. Both projects are "shovel ready," although we wonder if additional public hearings aren't required, especially when it comes to sensitive environmental areas. Putting those concerns aside for the moment, county officials are on the right track to put state and federal officials' feet to the fire when it comes to highway funding.

Stimulus money is slowly dripping from the federal faucet when it should be pouring out to states and local jurisdictions to get the economy moving. The county's legislative and congressional representatives should get behind the county's new-found 53/120 funding push.

Lake County is the state's third-largest in population. We deserve more than a bone thrown our way now and then. Funding for these two road projects are needed now.