1930 1910 1950 2013 marks the 1970 Getting Illinois "Out of the Mud" Birth of the County Highway 2010 Lake County Division 1990 System of Transportation's Prior to 1913, roads within the State of Il- linois were the responsibility of the individ- The County Highway System of roadways 100 years of service ual townships. Under the Tice Act of 1913, began with the adoption of the Illinois the state legislature created the County Highway Code on July 1, 1959. This gave the to Lake County. Superintendent of Highways position, now Lake County Highway Department complete known as the County Engineer. The Super- jurisdiction over any state-aid road which it A transportation intendent of Highways has to meet specific constructed and maintained, selected high- system that started criteria and pass selective tests before be- ways which were improved and maintained ing appointed by the state. Ultimately, this as Federal Aid Secondary Highways, and as dirt roads is legislative action shifted the responsibility any county highways which were construct- for building the road system in Illinois from ed after July 1, 1959. During this period of now an impressive townships to counties. expansion, Lake County constructed new sections of roads to connect to existing seg- network of safe and At the time, most of the roads in Illinois ments, completing roads such as Washing- were dirt roads and inclement weather ton Street. efficient roadways, made them impossible to navigate. There was a growing movement to develop a intersections, hard roads system to “get Illinois out of the Coming Of Age mud.” Working closely with the State High- Prior to 1985, the Lake County Highway roundabouts and way Commission, County Highway Depart- Department was primarily focused on the ments began building, and in some cases bike paths. county road system. That changed with the maintaining, state roads until 1959. adoption of Public Act 84-756 which man- dated that counties with a population over A timeline (a portion of which is pictured below) was designed, constructed and installed by Division of Transportation volunteers at the Lake County Division of Transportation offices to commemorate the Important Dates in the agency's 100th anniversary. The timeline depicts people, events and equipment representing the Division of Transportation's 100 years of service to Lake County. History of the Lake County 1930 Division of Transportation 1910 1950 1913 – Tice Act created the position of County Superintendent of Highways and shifted 1970 responsibility of building roads 2010 from townships to counties 1990 1916 - State Highway 600,000 create a Division of Transportation anticipate, plan and avoid gridlock. The Commission developed a plan and appoint a County Director of Transpor- PASSAGE intelligent transportation system for a statewide network of “Hard tation. The new Division of Transportation uses interconnected signals to manage traf- Roads” was responsible for every aspect of trans- fic flow and monitor traffic conditions. portation; from planning and construction, 1924 – Completion of the to maintenance and operations. In 2013, the 100th year of operation, statewide system of 4,800 miles of LCDOT will undertake its most ambitious “Hard Roads” Moving Into the 21st Century construction season in history. Some proj- ects include: – Illinois Highway Code Recent expansions of Lake County highways 1959 was adopted creating the County include the extension of Cedar Lake Road • Rollins Road grade separation from the Highway System of roadways from Illinois Route 120 to Illinois Route 60, CN Railroad in Round Lake Beach and the Rollins Road extension from US • Fairfield Road and Illinois Route 176 Route 45 to Grand Avenue in Gurnee. In intersection improvement 1991 - State changed the addition, the Lake County Division of Trans- • Widening of Washington Street from position of Superintendent of portation (LCDOT) installed three modern Cedar Lake Road to Hainesville Road Highways to County Engineer roundabouts and more roundabout inter- • Installation of a roundabout at the in- tersection of Cedar Lake and Monaville sections are planned. – Celebrating 100 Roads 2013 years with the most ambitious • Widening of Peterson Road from US LCDOT created Lake County PASSAGE, construction season in history which provides real-time traffic informa- Route 45 to Illinois Route 83 tion about arterial roads, so motorists can .