Welcome to the Project Website for Old McHenry Crossings!

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) is studying potential improvements to the areas surrounding the Old McHenry Road and Canadian National (CN) Railroad Crossing and along Quentin Road. Four highly traveled regional highways converging to this area, frequent trains, and three closely spaced intersections along Old McHenry Road have led to high traffic volumes and delays. Approximately 25,000 vehicles pass through the corridor each day and nearly 370 crashes have occurred in this area over the last five years. For these reasons, this corridor has been identified in the Lake County 2040 Transportation Plan, which recommends improvements necessary to address the future transportation needs of Lake County.

LCDOT seeks to improve safety, traffic operations and connectivity for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians within and surrounding the Old McHenry Road and CN Railroad area and along Quentin Road. The proposed improvements include a new roadway underpass grade separation at Old McHenry Road and the CN Railroad Crossing, intersection improvements and new traffic signals, additional through lanes, sidewalk and trail connections, and improved crosswalks.

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Project Study Area

The project study area generally includes:

• Old McHenry Road, Abbey Glenn Drive to Bonnie Lane
• Quentin Road, IL Route 22 to Old McHenry Road
• Midlothian Road, north and south of the Old McHenry Road intersection
• Fairfield Road, north of the Old McHenry Road intersection
• Echo Lake Road, south of the Old McHenry Road intersection

The project area is located within the Villages of Hawthorn Woods, Lake Zurich, Kildeer, and unincorporated Ela Township. Please click here to view site photos.

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Proposed Improvements

Please refer to the video below for a description of the Old McHenry Crossings Proposed Improvements.

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Project Timeline

This project will require multiple years of planning, coordination, and design before construction begins.  Phase I (Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Studies) will be completed in mid-2026.  Due to the project size, Phase II ( Design Engineering and Land Acquisition) and Phase II (Construction) will be broken out into three separate contracts. The underpass and associated improvements to Old McHenry Road are included in Contract 1. Phase II Design Engineering and Land Acquisition for Contract 1 was initiated in 2025 and will continue through 2028, with construction currently scheduled to begin in 2029.

The limits of the three construction contracts are shown here and include:

• Contract 1 – Old McHenry Road reconstruction from Fairfield Road to Bonnie Lane, including the roadway underpass beneath the CN Railroad.
• Contract 2 – Old McHenry Road improvements from Echo Lake Road to Fairfield Road and multi-use path from Abbey Glenn Drive to Fairfield Road.
• Contract 3 – Quentin Road reconstruction from IL 22 to Old McHenry Road, which includes a new multi-use path, intersection improvements, and drainage improvements.

The timing and initiation of Phase II Engineering and Construction for Contract 2 and Contract 3 have yet to be determined. The Lake County 5-year Transportation Improvement Program contains more information and can be found here [Lake County Five Year Plan].

Owners with property acquisition within Contract 1 will be contacted in late 2026. More information about the land acquisition process can be found here. An updated land acquisition mailing was sent out for the entire Phase I Engineering Study limits (Containing Contracts 1, 2, and 3) to inform owners of the final acquisition being proposed following the completion of preliminary (30%) engineering design. Exhibits showing the proposed acquisition can be found here: Quentin Road and Old McHenry Road.