Broken traffic light on Route 41 to snarl Monday traffic

Lake Forest police are urging north suburban drivers to rethink their travel plans on Illinois Route 41 during the Monday morning rush.

A disabled traffic light is flashing red on the busy commuter route at its intersection with Old Elm Road, and is expected to cause extensive back-ups, according to Lake Forest Police Chief Karl Walldorf.

A car struck the traffic signal control box on Saturday, and Illinois Department of Transportation officials won’t be able to fix it until Monday afternoon, Walldorf said.

Drivers should allow for extra travel time and consider alternate routes, police said.