Deerfield Traffic Nightmare Has Begun

AAAARGH!

I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football and Lucy keeps pulling it away and laughing. I thought this was the year Deerfield was getting a construction break. I thought this was the year that getting around town was not going to be a testament to the patience and tolerance of every person driving through or around town.

Clearly, I was wrong.

Lake Cook Road is a nightmare already. School is not out yet. Ravinia has not even started. What the heck is going on?

Let's start with the work being done by Deer Lake Road-the corner of Lake Cook Road and Deer Lake Road is the corner by  and . I'm not sure what they are working out there, but they have closed lanes, had flashing red lights for full days, causing back-ups all the way to the Tollway.

Then, there is the lovely corner of Lake Cook and Waukegan Roads. This has always been a horrible corner, but for the last few months, it really seemed to be flowing smoothly. Traffic patterns made sense and it was not a lifetime heading east on Lake Cook past Waukegan.

Now, regardless of time of day or day of the week, that corner has again become a nightmare, with back-ups lasting 15 minutes or more from Deer Lake Road to Waukegan. What is going on?

One of my shortcuts during the Lake Cook Road construction was to hop on the Spur heading east avoiding the Lake Cook Road back-ups. Can't do that now either, with construction not only on the bridge on Deerfield Road over 294, but the construction on 294 has been brutal as well heading north and south.

This is only the beginning, too. The library will open June 11 at Cadwell Corner's—corner of Deerfield and Waukegan Roads. Ravinia begins June 7 in Highland Park. School is out in Deerfield District 109 on June 8.

We all know summer construction causes delays, back-ups and slow downs throughout Chicago. But we are in Deerfield. This was supposedly our year off of construction. That was a very incorrect assumption.

The gridlock has only begun. Find your short-cuts, cut throughs and prepare for delays. Remember these tips. Don't speed through the neighborhoods, no hand held devices while driving. Can't imagine the Deerfield police are not planning on cashing in on these traffic delays.

At least someone will be happy driving around this summer. Sure won't be me.

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