Intersection improvements along Walkup Road to begin in July

Construction on Walkup and Crystal Lake roads that stretches across Crystal Lake, Bull Valley, McHenry and Nunda Township will start in mid-July and be completed by spring 2024.

Six intersections down the two roads will be updated as part of the Walkup Road Intersection Safety Project by the McHenry County Division of Transportation.

The Illinois Department of Transportation identified in a report that there was a “trend of left-vturning crashes and angle collisions” along Walkup and Crystal Lake roads, which have speed limits ranging from 45 mph to 50 mph.

Now, the intersections will have flashing yellow arrows and retroreflective borders in hopes of increasing visibility while decreasing the number of crashes.

Safety upgrades will be added along Crystal Lake Road at the intersections of Bull Valley and Mason Hill roads. Upgrades on Walkup Road intersections will be at Crystal Springs Road, Edgewood Road, Pleasant Hill Road and Hillside Road.

Traffic signals will be completely replaced at the intersection of Bull Valley and Crystal Lake roads.

Other improvements include curb ramp replacements and the relocation of signal posts that block visibility. Traffic signals also will be adjusted to align with the center of the road.

The project, set to be completed by Home Towne Electric Inc., is expected to cost about $1.1 million. The project is more than $300,000 over what the county expected to pay. An additional $400,000 was approved by the McHenry County Board at last week’s meeting to cover the remaining costs.

Lanes will be intermittently closed, but the roads are expected to stay open, said Rebecca Brazas, design engineer for the McHenry County Division of Transportation.