Touhy-Crawford Business District
Lincolnwood, Illinois

As Village Engineer, GHA acted as the lead agency for the aesthetic and geometric design improvements within the Touhy-Crawford Business District. By improving the appearance, traffic flow management, and safety of the District, the 0.3-mile stretch was transformed into a compact, pedestrian-oriented shopping area.

The alignment of Touhy Avenue was redesigned to accommodate landscape medians and new left turn lanes. The landscaped parkway and 5’ sidewalk was renovated, and new street and pedestrian lighting systems were installed.

Multiple funding sources contributed to this project, including a grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), Illinois First funds, a reimbursement agreement with IDOT, Motor Fuel Tax backing, and local matching funds.

Willow Road 24" Watermain Replacement
Northfield, Illinois

The project involved replacement of two aging 12” water supply mains for the Village of Northfield. Approximately 4,700 lineal feet of 24” ductile iron watermain was installed. An 800’ section was installed by horizontal directional drilling under the Skokie River, along with four auger-and-jack crossings of IDOT highways, including a 290’ bore under I-94. The project also included connection to an existing main along a Cook County Highway, and 3,000’ of construction on Cook County Forest Preserve property.

GHA provided complete design services including preliminary alignments, hydraulic modeling, cost estimates, field surveys, documents and permit applications to IEPA, IDOT, Cook County Highway Department, USACE, and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Construction services included preparation of bidding and contract documents; bidding administration, review, and recommendation; full-time construction observation; and pay request review and recommendations. GHA developed record drawings, updated the Village’s water system model, and coordinated all traffic access through residential and business.

30" Water Transmission Main
Lincolnshire and Bannockburn, Illinois

The Villages of Lincolnshire and Bannockburn required additional water transmission capacity due to historical and projected growth within both Villages. In a collaborative effort, 12,000’ of new, 30” water transmission main was constructed to supply the existing two-million-gallon Lincolnshire reservoir and a new one-million-gallon Bannockburn reservoir. The 30” pipeline was designed to work in conjunction with an existing 18” transmission main, and substantially upgrade Bannockburn’s existing water system. Sixty percent of the pipeline was located within private property easements having 17 different property owners.

GHA worked in conjunction with the pipeline design engineers to assure quality control, shop drawing review, and technical design assistance. Surveying, construction layout, and construction phase services were provided by GHA, as well as easement negotiation assistance to acquire the necessary right of way for construction. GHA coordinated with eight public permit agencies, METRA, and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. As the project was conducted along an Illinois State Highway, traffic control and worker safety was a primary concern.

Village Engineering
Barrington Hills, Illinois

Since 1993, GHA has served as the Village Engineer for Barrington Hills, a 30-square-mile community which occupies portions of Lake, Cook, Kane, and McHenry counties. GHA has provided a wide range of consulting services to the Village, including plan review for all site development within the Village, from subdivisions to individual site grading, septic plan analysis, and utility permit reviews; design and construction administration of road and drainage improvement programs, including topographic surveying, traffic counts and studies, transportation planning, public hearings, construction layout and observation, rain garden design and installation, and easement preparation; Geographic Information Service (GIS) data collection and interactive mapping; database design and maintenance; web development and graphic design; and Village Ordinance updates.

Many Village maintained roads do not have dedicated right-of-way. As a result, our office has worked extensively with the Village and residents during road and drainage improvement projects to be sensitive to property rights and aesthetic concerns of residents while maintaining appropriate engineering standards.

GHA provided design and construction services and grant applications for the development of a series of in-line rain gardens along the Village roadway. The rain gardens accept drainage from neighboring residential properties, increasing infiltration for low flows and allowing for overflow to continue draining through the drainage ditch from one rain garden to the next.

Because the Village lies within four counties, projects often require coordination between, and compliance with, multiple County agencies.

Downtown Streetscape Rehabilitation
Libertyville, Illinois

As part of a team selected by the Village, GHA completed a comprehensive Traffic and Downtown Parking Study. Daily/hourly traffic volume and speed data counts were conducted using the Nu-Metric HI-Star machine counters, in order to determine traffic signal warrants. A traffic database was developed to help classify the Village street system. Four downtown Libertyville traffic signals were completely modernized, including new decorative posts and mast arms, LED signal heads, and Emergency Vehicle Preemption equipment.

Following the traffic and parking study, GHA led another team in completing a comprehensive downtown streetscape and engineering project along Milwaukee Avenue (IL Rte 21). GHA provided Phase II and Phase III services, including complete engineering design for all pavement reconstruction, lighting, and appurtenances; construction documents; project administration; construction layout; and construction observation.

The project was phased and coordinated to ensure the least disruption to business operations. GHA’s field technicians exceeded the expectations of the Village in providing the individual care and commitment required to successfully complete the five-phase project.