Route 47 Road Construction Returns

If the Route 47 road construction gave you a headache over the last several years, prepare to take lots of aspirin come Monday.

The remaining work on the Route 47 widening projects gets underway next week with lane closures expected over the next two to three weeks, Illinois Department of Transportation officials said.

Lane closures will be required for several days at a time at select locations along the project route for concrete work, between Reed and Kreutzer roads, IDOT said.

Once the concrete work is done, intermittent closures will take place through June so crews can do landscaping, pavement markings and sidewalk installation.

The project, made possible by Gov. Pat Quinn’s six-year, $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, involved adding a second lane to 2.5 miles of Illinois 47.

All lanes were opened late last fall. Other project features include new, dedicated turn lanes and modernized, interconnected traffic signals at Reed Road, Main Street, Algonquin Road and Kreutzer Road. The bridge over the Kishwaukee River was replaced with a new culvert.

Plote Construction, Inc., of Hoffman Estates, was the prime contractor on the $24 million project.

Motorists should anticipate delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. Please obey the speed limit, observe closure signs and remain alert for workers.

Find details on other construction projects in IDOT’s District 1 website. at http://www.dot.state.il.us. Updates on the impacts to traffic are available at www.travelmidwest.com.