Washington St. Enterance

[FParker185]

Washington St Enterance when it's open has been staffed since I started using it back in 97, pretty sure it always has been.

[rico28]

Sorry FPARKER185 a few years it was CLOSED!

Entrance Roads need some repaving from stoplights to parking toll booth
and including re-striping. Two attendants in the mornings on all days not some. Two lane in and two lanes out setup. Under the eagle only 3 total lanes so the center lane can be conterflow lane just switch midday. Plus two left lanes markings exit onto Washington RD. Due to construction traffic from HH and over the years of deteriorating. Signs are needed for exiting to Washington Rd. along HH fence front lot. and along the toll-way side of the overflow lot. Most signs direct traffic to Grand Ave.
This should improve the overall operation of the entrance for 2008

Plus the area near Highway sign about 150 parking spaces needs repaving too! It could not be done in 2004 when repaving the overflow lot.
This was use for excess dirt HH project.

Other improvements to repave Employee lots and GA RD Service Dr. EXIT to RTE. 21 for speedy premium parking exit.

[FParker185]

So yeah, if you would read you would notice I said, "Washington St Enterance WHEN IT'S OPEN has been staffed since I started using it back in 97, pretty sure it always has been."


Thanks for playing!

[BrianPlencner]

^ I agree with Mike on that one. The only time I have not seen either entrance gate staffed is near the end of the night when you can park for free anyway. This is usually about 1-2 hours before park close.

--Brian

[shockwave guy mark]

Gosh, I never even knew that entrance was reopened. I remeber exiting that way a few times, or maybe entering threw that way, but that was such a long time ago...

[cycamps]

I've never gone through it. I'll have to make an effort to do so... With the bridge construction, it might be easier to now.

[FParker185]

if you come from the south, the best way is get off at belvedere Rd. and go east, the first stop light is I think dillys rd, but either way, left at the first stoplight and go up to washington and hang a left, takes you right to the back gate, and you avoid traffic and when they are using the front and back lots, more often than not the front enterance will be directed into the back lot and washington st enterance directed into the front lot where you can get to the preferred/season pass parking.

[cycamps]

Wow! Thanks for the info!

[rico28]

From the Tollway website-
Update – Latest Construction Info
On Belvidere Road traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction and the eastbound bridge is closed for demolition and reconstruction. Currently, traffic is traveling on the westbound bridge to accommodate the rebuilding work, with one lane of through traffic in each direction and a westbound auxiliary lane for traffic entering or exiting I-94. On the Tri-State Tollway (I-94), shoulders on I-94 below the bridge are closed and overnight lane closures are expected nightly for bridge demolition and construction. Completion is scheduled for late 2008.

Second year of this bridge reconstruction!
On father Day's last year traffic was back up to this bridge from the Grand Ave. Exit!
So still use use this exit for speedy entry to parking lot, so watch out for construction workers Drive 45!

[ttd rox]

I forget that this road even exist half the time!

[rico28]

More traffic construction, More reasons to use the Back parking entrance.
'It's going to be a mess'
$22M reconstruction of Route 41-Grand
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/830363,5_1_WA07_RTE41GRAND_S1.article


On SFGA wedsite A Traffic Cone on Directions page and says this

Tollway and surface road construction projects are anticipated
in 2008. Check back closer to your visit date for updates.

[DejaVu2001]

Wow. Just when I thought construction couldn't get any worse this year. SFGAm has officially been OWNED by IDOT

[BrianPlencner]

Wow. Its about time that they did something about the Grand Ave / Route 41 intersection. That section is really a bottleneck.

However, traffic is really going to be bad while they do the work. From the article

All ramps to and from Route 41 at Grand will be closed for the duration of the work, Gurnee Village Administrator Jim Hayner said there is no couching the impact to local traffic patterns.
"I'm not going to kid you, it's going to be a mess," he said.

--Brian

[ttd rox]

So this year it will or won't be used as an entrance?

[rico28]

I'm sure it will be open!
Last year about 15+ cars waiting to get in, This year 100+ Cars, I can see this happening very often.

Here's pic of a new sign on tollway southbound!
http://www.sfgamworld.com/phpBB2/album_ ... er_id=2284

[cycamps]

It's good that they're taking control of the traffic situation...

[ttd rox]

^Definately! It will be better to have 2 entrances open than it is only to have 1!

[rico28]

Anyone order tickets online,new driving instructions will be posted and printed on each ticket that people purchase from the website.

News from Guest Relations

[rasslin]

Hi All,

Washington Street Closed? That's not good.

I used that entrance almost all summer. Both last year and the year before.
It's much easier and less congested than the main entrance. Except there is just a small guard kiosk so it doesn't take many cars to cause a backup.

[rico28]

OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!
required from the Village of Gurnee

[tp41190]

I should use this sometime. I have only ever used it when i wanted leave the park on REALLY busy days.

[rico28]

From Gurnee Newsletter-2008 Construction Schedule

This summer is going to be very busy regarding roadway construction. The Village of Gurnee will be impacted by three major roadway construction projects. Every effort is being made to limit the length and severity of interruption for the traveling public; however, inconveniences will most certainly happen. Plan ahead and try to schedule your driving around the construction zones and their detour routes.

TOLLWAY – I-94
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is in the midst of a four year, $880 million reconstruction and widening project for Interstate 94/294 from O’Hare to the Wisconsin state line. Last summer, the Tollway began construction of the southbound lanes north of Grand Avenue. That work has been completed. This summer work will commence on the northbound lanes, north of Grand Avenue and on the southbound lanes south of Grand Avenue. Three lanes of traffic will be maintained with a crossover lane similar to the current construction projects in Cook County. The schedule is being maintained to complete all of the Tollway widening by the end of 2010.

With the widening of the Tollway pavement comes widening of the bridges that span the Tollway pavement. The IL Route 120 (Belvidere Road) bridge has been under construction since late last summer. The bridge is scheduled to be re-opened by late summer of 2008. Construction efforts on the IL Route 132 (Grand Avenue) bridge and the O’Plaine Road bridge are scheduled to begin this summer. The O’Plaine Road bridge will be limited to a single lane and controlled with a traffic signal. The Grand Avenue bridge will be restricted down to a single lane in each direction during portions of the construction. The Tollway has an aggressive schedule to replace this entire bridge structure in approximately 12 months, completing their work in the summer of 2009. For portions of the construction duration, the southbound to eastbound ramp will be closed. A detour route utilizing IL Rte 21 will be provided to the traveling public that would normally utilize that ramp.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION – RTE 41/132 INTERCHANGE
The Illinois Department of Transportation has notified the Village of their intent to begin reconstruction of the interchange at US Rte 41 (Skokie Highway) and IL Rte 132 (Grand Avenue) later this summer. The construction will begin around August of 2008 and continue until the winter of 2009. The project consists of replacing both bridge structures for Rte 41 and modifying the exit ramps so that the ramps are on the outside of the bridges, eliminating the need for left hand merges. This $22 million project will require the closing of all ramps to and from Rte 41 for the duration of the construction. Marked detour routes will be provided for traffic along both Rte 41 and Grand Avenue utilizing Green Bay Road. Traffic will be limited to a single lane in each direction both on Rte 41 and on Grand Avenue. The Grand Avenue traffic signal will be turned off under the bridge as there will be no intersecting traffic once the ramps are temporarily closed.

LAKE COUNTY DIVISION OF TRANSPORTATION – WASHINGTON STREET
The Lake County Division of Transportation has announced their plans to reconstruct Washington Street between Greenleaf Street and IL Rte 21. This project is proposed to begin in the late spring of 2008 and should be completed by the fall of 2009. The project consists of replacing the existing lanes of concrete pavement and installing a raised planter median in lieu of the steel guardrail. During the majority of the construction, traffic will be limited to a single lane in each direction; however, the lane limitations will only occur after the IL Rte 120 (Belvidere Road) bridge is reopened to full traffic.

The Village of Gurnee Engineering Division is working with each of the entities to coordinate the Village’s involvement. Updates to traffic patterns will be posted on the Village’s website and through the Village’s Construction Updates email listserv. Residents may subscribe through the Village’s website at http://www.gurnee.il.us.

[FParker185]

cant lie, sounds like this year will be utter hell

[cycamps]

I agree. They are really doing a lot of construction on the tollway. $880 million is a lot!

[rico28]

Just an update at the border 41/94 spit-
This is for wisconsin visitors heading to GA avoiding the tollroad!

Closure of Southbound U.S. 41 Exit Ramp Planned-

The last construction stage change on the North Tri-State Tollway is scheduled later this spring and will shift northbound traffic into a counterflow configuration from north of the Waukegan Toll Plaza to the Wisconsin state line. In addition, the exit ramp from southbound I-94 to U.S. 41 is scheduled to close to accommodate the northbound counterflow configuration. A detour will be posted, directing southbound I-94 traffic to exit at Russell Road, continuing westbound on Russell Road to Old Route 41, and south on Old Route 41 to reach U.S. Route 41. Pavement repair work and the installation of temporary traffic signals are scheduled in early April to prepare for the detour. The Illinois Tollway continues to work with Lake County and IDOT officials in planning for this stage change.

Then, continue on to Rte. 21 to Washinton Rd. and hit the Back parking Entrance!

Woad of Advise!
Truck traffic is going to be big in this area going to TA & Citgo Truck-stop and Bristol Ren. Faire is the main exit for Illinois Traffic( 9 Weekends after 4th of July) 10am -7pm This may help Exit 165. Then head down west Frontage Rd into Old Route 41. Just look out for BRF traffic! In late 2008 or 2009 Construction Strats on New ULINE Warehouse in Southwest Corner of 165 & I-94 and Maybe a Hotel/ Gas station in that corner ,Too

More Infor- Village of Gurnee Meeting in 2005 talking about Keylime Cove Traffic but about SIx Flags
10-05-05
Mr. McFarlane asked if the regional solution could consider creating a direct entrance off of the tollway right into Six Flags.

Mr. Grieve responded a similar option had been looked at in the past, when Great America was first proposed, but that all parties involved could not agree. He also noted that the Toll Authority recently revisited a plan for potential direct access to Great America, but that they wanted to couple this improvement with the moving of toll booths south of Grand. There was some opposition/concern expressed by the Village and the Toll Authority decided to not proceed with improvements along this line. He also explained that as far as comparing traffic generation and traffic impact in the area, Key Lime Cove is just a small piece of the pie. It should not be compared to Great America and Gurnee Mills Mall. He noted that the 30-acres that Key Lime is proposing to build on carries C/B-2 PUD zoning that could be improved with a significant retail center or a significant office park. Both options create more traffic, with the retail center generating large traffic volumes on weekends when Gurnee Mills and Great America do a lot of business and the office park generating large traffic volumes during the morning and evening weekday peak hours, when the background traffic on the area roadways is the greatest.

Mr. Kloczkowski asked if Great America has plans to open the Washington Street entrance again and expressed concern that part of the back up is due to the booths which check traffic in at Great America and the conflict between the cars and people going into the park.

Ms. Velkover responded that Great America has been working with the Village Board on resolving these problems. The opening of the Washington Street entrance is a consideration.