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Politics & Government

Congestion on Lake Cook Road to Ease Tuesday

Four lanes to open in both directions most of the time. All construction to cease for a year in December.

Anyone who drives on will have something extra to be grateful for on Thanksgiving when they get an early holiday gift from the Cook County Highway Department. On Tuesday, two lanes will open in both directions on Lake Cook Road. 

“Will it be something to be thankful for, absolutely,” Ted Spear, owner of restaurant in Deerfield, said. “If it gets done by Tuesday it will be a miracle,” Spear added hinting Miracle Tuesday could make Black Friday and Small Business Saturday better in the Village.

Drivers who have will have two lanes open going both east and west direction by Tuesday according to Cook County Highway Engineer Mark McMillan.

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Though some work will continue into December causing occasional delays, all labor will cease by then until 2013 according to officials of the Cook County Highway Department.

For people driving in the area and particularly businesses the nine months of constructions have been more than a nuisance. Spear said his volume has been down between 25 and 30 percent since the work began.

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“It’s been awful, it’s been brutal,” Spear said. “It’s been very frustrating. It’s been a lot worse for some.”

The Cook County Highway has decided to do no work on the project in 2012 putting the remainder of the effort on hold until 2013 when efforts will begin in earnest near the intersection of Lake Cook and Waukegan Roads according to a report in the print edition of Triblocal.

This action was taken after officials from Deerfield and Northbrook asked the Cook County Highway Department to consider a delay because of the severe effect the project was having on local business according to the Triblocal report.

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