Lake Forester, November 25, 2009

Shields Township votes against tunnel

NEWS BRIEF

The Shields Township board voted unanimously to not provide funding toward the proposed tunnel under Route 176 just west of Green Bay Road in Lake Bluff at its meeting on Nov. 19.

"I don't think we should even consider it," said Trustee Laura Carney of Lake Bluff.

Township Supervisor Gale Strenger Wayne said that Lake Bluff Village President Christine Letchinger asked the Shields board to consider partnering with the village, Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 and the Lake Bluff Park and Recreation board to build a tunnel under Route 176 for safer access to the new elementary school and the park district facility on Washington in Lake Bluff.

The school board received a $400,000 state grant toward the project from the Illinois Department of Transportation and has until Dec. 31 to accept the grant. Accepting the grant would require the village and its partners to provide $1.2 million in additional funding.