Lake Villa bridge a showcase of new steel.(News)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), September, 2006 | by Zawislak, Mick

Byline: Mick Zawislak Daily Herald Staff Writer The project seemed interminable, but motorists wasted no time enjoying the free flow of traffic on Route 83 about a half mile north of Route 132 in Lake Villa. "As soon as we opened the road, these guys are flying at 60 miles an hour," said Mario Biondolillo, resident engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The posted speed limit is 40 mph. Perhaps drivers, who suddenly found themselves with a straight shot Thursday, were in a celebratory mood after the completion of a project that began in September 2004. "The original contractor went bankrupt. That's the reason," Biondolillo said. "Otherwise the bridge would have been done a long time ago." The road was never closed, but the lanes were...