Cost Estimates Rise for Weiland, Lake-Cook Projects

Improvements to Weiland and Lake-Cook roads will cost more than originally expected, an engineer told Buffalo Grove officials last week.

In an update to Village Board members, Civiltech engineer Bob Andres said the Weiland Road expansion project is now estimated to cost $40 million, while Lake-Cook Road improvements are estimated at $54 million. Earlier estimates placed the costs at $32 million and $40 million, respectively.

“Assuming this may be built within the next six to eight years, we’ve inflated the cost to cover any contingencies,” Andres said, noting that if construction began now, the estimates would likely be 15 to 20 percent less.

The updated estimates also include a new lighting system for Weiland Road and temporary lighting during the construction phase.

“Previously we assumed that the lighting system, that we’d reuse some of the poles,” Andres said. 

The majority of the funds are expected to come from various county and federal sources. Buffalo Grove is expected to foot $1.5 million of the expense in all. The village has already paid about $1.2 million of that amount for the Phase 1 study.

“Outwardly, it doesn’t look like much has been happening, but there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of preparing environmental and design reports and getting agency reviews with the goal of getting approvals from all of the agencies that would have something to say about this project should it move forward,” Andres said. 

Construction cost estimates are nearly complete, he said. Next, an environmental assessment will be finalized. That will include a look at how new easements at driveways might affect School District 102, route: {:controller=>"listings", :action=>"show", :id=>"aptakisic-tripp-school-district-102-administrative-office"} --> and