Lake County Gazette

Illinois state Sen. Adrian Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) has announced that approximately $9.5 million will go to the Waukegan community for road, sidewalk and bridge improvements to be done over the next year. 

Improvements are part of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) multi-year plan to help expand and maintain the transportation infrastructure of the state, a press release from Sen. Johnson's office said. 

"For too long, our infrastructure has suffered from historic underinvestment, threatening the safety and security of our community. These funds will go toward revitalizing our roads, creating jobs and boosting growth in the area," Sen. Johnson wrote in a Facebook post.

As part of the improvements to sidewalks and street crossings, work will be done to make them more easily accessible for those with limited mobility, including wheelchairs, the release said. 

Waukegan can expect multiple infrastructural upgrades throughout the community including a $2.8 million project to improve a 2.31-mile stretch of Genesee Street that spans from Belvidere Road to Buckley Road, according to the release.

Other local areas that will see improvements, the IDOT announced, including more than  $7.7 million for improvements in Vernon Hills, $2.8 million for Park City and a $2.3 million bridge project on Washington Street.