After surveying its members and after the release last month of a study on the controversial proposal to extend Illinois Highway 53, the Lake County Farm Bureau decided this month to endorse its extension.
In a late 1998 bureau survey of its nearly 11,000 members, more than 70 percent supported extending Illinois 53 through Lake County.
At the time, the Lake County Farm Bureau Board of Directors decided to wait for the Lake County Transportation Improvement Project to complete its initial study on the extension before taking a public position.
On May 16, the transportation project released its study, in which it singled out the Illinois 53 extension and another proposal for additional lanes along Illinois Highway 83/U.S. Highway 45, St. Mary’s Road and other roads as the two best options for reducing road congestion in the county.
The state-sponsored transportation project will hold public hearings on the two finalists before recommending one in the fall.
“The main reason for extending Route 53 is that a large percentage of the property is purchased and this option would cause the least displacement of homes and businesses,” Farm Bureau spokesman Gregory Koeppen said.
The bureau also sent a letter to members asking them to support one Illinois 53 extension proposal that calls for a southerly bypass around Grayslake.
In early June, the bureau also asked its members to endorse the board’s recommendation and, of the 3,000 letters sent out, more than 1,100 wrote back supporting the extension.
More Top Picks Best Cooling Weighted Blankets For Hot Sleepers