WASHINGTON, D.C. – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen joined legislative leaders from Illinois and Indiana at the White House last week to discuss improvements to the state’s infrastructure, including updates made in Lake County thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration.

Among the standout projects funded through numerous federal grants including Community Projects Funding (CPF) was the Cedar Lake Road realignment. This transformative projects creates a smoother aligned thoroughfare in the downtown Round Lake. This investment includes bicycle and pedestrian pathways and an improved bus and rail transit facilities.

“Investments in our infrastructure are an investment in people. It’s easy to overlook how critical infrastructure improvements are until a piece stops working. We lose time with our loved ones because we are sitting in traffic or on a train that is delayed,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Investments like CPF bring essential transportation infrastructure updates that will not only institute high-quality jobs to our state but improve the lives of every Illinoisan. Our district is well maintained thanks to this funding.”

Additionally, the Cedar Lake Road project will provide an 86% reduction in travel delays and a 36% decrease in the frequency of crashes. The area within a 0.5 mile radius of the project has a demographic index of 51% for the number of minority and low income residents belonging to underserved communities.

“The $135.2 million in funding that Lake County received from the American Rescue Plan Act has been critical in enabling the county to invest in numerous local programs and projects to benefit our residents and communities,” said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s funding allocation to Lake County and the collaboration with our state and local partners, these initiatives were made possible.”

Several major projects were federally funded across Lake County in addition to Cedar Lake Road thanks to CPF and ARPA.

"Here in Lake County, we have seen tremendous benefits from the Biden-Harris Administration's investments in healthcare, gun violence prevention, and protecting the environment," said State Representative Bob Morgan (D- Highwood). "Thanks to unprecedented federal support, we have been able to expand health insurance coverage, invest millions in community-based violence intervention and prevention, and deploy over $30 million for flood mitigation resulting from climate change. With today's White House visit by the Lake County delegation, we will continue to look for new ways for our federal partners to support our communities."

To learn more about federal funded projects across Lake County, visit the Lake County’s website.