Illinois Department of Transportation begins clearing the right-of-way for upcoming expansion project
Contractors working with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are expected to begin tree removal in August along Illinois Rt.59 in anticipation of the upcoming Rt. 59 Expansion project, which will improve safety and traffic flow along the Rt. 59 corridor from Ferry Rd. to Aurora Ave.
Tree removal in the public right-of-way is anticipated to begin the week of August 20 and will occur intermittently through the end of October. Trees will be removed along Rt. 59 from New York St./Aurora Ave. to Ferry Rd. in Naperville, Aurora and unincorporated DuPage County. This project may also include removals along the intersecting local roadways to Rt. 59 that are within the project limits. The process is expected to involve short-term lane closures along Rt. 59, which could cause lane closures and traffic delays.
Upon completion of the expansion project, trees and other landscape will be restored to the area where possible.
While tree removal is underway, IDOT contractors will be performing patching and resurfacing on Rt. 59 from north of Ferry Rd. to North Aurora Rd. as part of a DuPage County roadway maintenance project. Work is expected to begin during late August and will continue through the end of October, causing traffic delays in the area. The patching and resurfacing will ensure that the roadway remains in reasonable driving condition during the coming winter and throughout the various stages of the expansion project.
IDOT is also expected to begin relocating utilities along the corridor and a pump station located near the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway crossing in the coming months. More details of those projects and potential impacts to traffic will be posted on the project webpage at www.naperville.il.us/route59expansion.aspx.
Main construction work for the Illinois Rt. 59 Expansion Project is expected to begin in spring 2013 and continue throughout 2014.
As a vital transportation link to the entire region, the Illinois Rt. 59 corridor will be expanded so that safety and traffic flow can be improved for Naperville’s residents, visitors and commuters. Based upon analysis of current roadway conditions and public input obtained in recent years, the three-mile stretch of roadway will be widened to three lanes in each direction, additional turn lanes will be added and existing turn lanes will be extended, access from smaller side streets and driveways will be restricted or eliminated to improve traffic flow and sidewalks and bike paths will be installed wherever practical. The project also includes the implementation of an innovative diverging diamond configuration on the bridge over Interstate 88 that will enhance safety and traffic flow.
All construction is weather dependent; notice of schedule changes as well as more information about the project will be posted to the City’s website, in the City’s Rt. 59 eNewsletter and Road Closure and Construction alerts and in the local media when necessary.
