Construction Projects
CONSTRUCTION NOTICE
Franklin Avenue Reconstruction July 2024 Update
To: Franklin Avenue Businesses
From: Kevin Wilson, PE
Resident Engineer (Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.)
We are writing to provide you with an important update on the ongoing construction on Franklin Avenue. In April, Plote Construction, Inc. resumed work on the south side of Franklin Avenue, from Runge Street to the I-294 Overpass. Significant progress has been made, including the installation
of a new water main from Runge Street to Wolf Road, new fire hydrants, storm sewer installations, and pavement removal on the south side of Franklin Avenue from Runge Street to I-294.
During this spring construction phase, we encountered an unexpected issue with a shallow 20-inch diameter gas main between Runge Street and Wolf Road. Unfortunately, we cannot proceed with roadway
improvements (excavation) until a section of this gas main is relocated. Nicor has prioritized the design and construction of this pipeline relocation, which is scheduled to begin in August and is expected to take about a month to complete. Once this gas main relocation is completed, we will
resume the remaining roadway work from Runge Street to I- 294, which we anticipate finishing by the end of 2024.
Additionally, ComEd is continuing cable relocations under I-294, which has delayed the construction of the storm sewer and water main installations from I-294 to Williams Drive. We expect this delay
to be resolved by mid-August. Following the completion of ComEd’s cable installations, we will begin storm sewer and water main work. We are optimistic that the full-width roadway work from I-294 to Williams Drive can be completed by the end of 2024. However, due to the extensive scope of work remaining from I-294 to Williams Drive, it may not be possible to construct all five lanes of pavement before the winter.
We appreciate your patience as the Village, Engineering Team, and Contractors work through these utility delays to complete this project as soon as possible. Our goal is to finish the remaining
paved surfaces by the end of the year, allowing for the restoration of free-flowing traffic for all businesses.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Questions or Concerns
The Village of Franklin Park is aware of the disruption and inconvenience that will be caused and appreciates your patience and cooperation during this construction project. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the Consulting Resident Engineer, Kevin Wilson at
(847) 833-0274 or the Village Engineer, Tom McCabe at (847) 671-8304.
Franklin Avenue Construction – A Project with Regional Significance
Construction on Franklin Avenue continues with Franklin Avenue and Williams Drive with only one lane open in each direction through the winter. This work is part of the multi-year Franklin Avenue Reconstruction Project which is upgrading infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing industrial corridor while also creating safer, more efficient travel options for residents and visitors.
This important project is funded with grants from the County, State, and Federal governments. An additional $3.3 million in funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is supporting the project and will help to eliminate traffic bottlenecks when the work is completed.
Franklin Avenue west of Mannheim Road is a significant component of the region’s network of roads and highways. Franklin Avenue will tie directly into the tollway system and provide improved access to I-294 via the future I-490 interchange. Together with the Tollway’s regional improvements, the Franklin Avenue Reconstruction Project will help to decrease congestion and travel times locally by getting trucks off local roads and onto the tollway system more efficiently.
Franklin Avenue improvements include widening the road from two to four lanes, modernization of traffic signals, creating two-way turn lanes, new storm sewers, new lighting, and constructing a shared pathway for bicycles and pedestrians. Construction on Franklin Avenue will continue through 2024. Other construction on roadways in the area including on Green Street and on Acorn Street will be completed in 2025. Please watch this newsletter for updates
Construction Update - 11/14/2023
Franklin Avenue and Williams Drive will be open one lane in each direction through the winter.
Belmont Avenue, west of Williams Drive, is currently open westbound only and should be reopened to traffic in both directions by December 1st.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OVERNIGHT RAMP, LANE CLOSURES SCHEDULED ON NORTH AVENUE, LAKE STREET
UNDER THE TRI-STATE TOLLWAY (I-294) IN ELMHURST AND NORTHLAKE
Closures needed to safely accommodate bridge beam placement for Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Overnight local road and ramp closures are scheduled to begin this week on North Avenue and Lake Street under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to accommodate bridge beam placement on the Central Tri-State Tollway Project.
Beginning the week of April 10, overnight lane closures and temporary, full closures of local roads and ramps are scheduled to begin.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the closures. Up-to-date information regarding lane closures and detours will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. The temporary closures are necessary to provide a work zone to safely accommodate bridge beam placement. All work is weather dependent.
Multiple nights of lane closures will be scheduled in both directions on I-290, North Avenue, and Lake Street and on northbound I-294 beginning at 8 p.m.
Intermittent, full closures of North Avenue, Lake Street, and the ramp carrying westbound I-290 traffic to eastbound Lake Street/North Avenue, will be scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. with each closure lasting approximately 15 minutes.
All lanes and ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. the following morning. If bridge beam placement work cannot be completed during the week of April 10, additional nights of closures will be scheduled as weather permits.
Ongoing overnight lane closures are scheduled to continue through 2023 on these roadways for construction associated with the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway and the construction of the I-490/I-294 Interchange.
Construction in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County, City of Elmhurst and City of Northlake, as well as local fire and police departments.
Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.
The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the
North Avenue Interchange Project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) -
Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.
Work Zone Safety
Construction zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 152,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 11 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of- the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.March 21, 2023
RAMP CLOSURE, DETOUR SCHEDULED ON I-290 AS PART OF
NORTH AVENUE INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION
Closure of ramp from westbound I-290 to eastbound North Avenue/Lake Street for Cook County road and bridge work supporting Illinois Tollway projects
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – A weekend-long closure of the ramp from westbound I-290 to eastbound North Avenue/Lake Street is scheduled for this weekend for storm sewer work. A detour will be posted.
The detour is needed to complete storm sewer construction across the ramp as part of the North Avenue and Lake Street rehabilitation project led by the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways. The project is located in the cities of Elmhurst and Northlake and will accommodate the Illinois Tollway’s North Avenue Interchange Project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place to alert drivers in advance of the closure and detour. Up-to-date closure information will be posted on the Tollway website in the Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
Beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 24, the ramp from westbound I-290 to eastbound North Avenue/Lake Street is scheduled to close. A detour will be posted routing traffic to continue westbound on I-290 to Illinois Route 83, through the interchange to eastbound I-290 to North Avenue for access to eastbound North Avenue/Lake Street and the northbound I-294 ramp. This detour is scheduled to remain in place through 5 a.m. on Monday, March 27.
In addition, the right lane on eastbound Lake Street will be closed in conjunction with the detour.
North Avenue Interchange Project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) - page 2
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Construction in this area is being coordinated with Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the City of Elmhurst and the City of Northlake, as well as local fire and police departments.
Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the North Avenue Interchange Project at I-294 are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com, as well as on the Cook County construction project webpage at maps.cookcountyil.gov/hwyproject.
Ongoing lane closures and traffic shifts are scheduled to continue over the next two years on these local roadways to allow Cook County to complete the roadway improvements which includes pavement reconstruction, bridge work, watermain reconstruction, drainage installation, and traffic signal modifications.
The project will include work to realign a portion of County Line Road to accommodate the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and for the North Avenue Interchange Project that includes construction of a new ramp connecting southbound I-294 to County Line Road to provide new access to North Avenue and Lake Street to help reduce congestion at the interchange and on local roads.
In addition, the North Avenue and Lake Street (U.S. Route 20) intersection will be reconfigured to improve traffic flow and provide new direct access to eastbound North Avenue. Drainage improvements are planned to help alleviate flooding in the area during periods of heavy rainfall. Construction of detention ponds to hold stormwater and the installation of new storm sewers will help address flooding along North Avenue.
In partnership with the Illinois Tollway and cities of Northlake and Elmhurst, Cook County is leading the project's design and will be constructing the project improvements. This work is in coordination with the
North Avenue Interchange Project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) - page 3
Illinois Tollway’s 15 year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
Work Zone Safety
Construction zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 152,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 11 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of- the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.
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Click here for DAILY CONSTRUCTION ALERTS
August 2023 Update:
Franklin Avenue Construction Update
Roadway reconstruction on the Northside of Franklin Avenue (from Mannheim to Runge) and on the Eastside of Williams Drive (from Franklin to Belmont) began on May 1. Storm sewer installation was also iniated on Williams Drive and on Franklin Avenue from Mannheim to I-294 in early May. During this work, pavement within the work zone will be fully removed and any driveway access across the work zone will be maintained using temporary stone ramps. Two-way traffic will remain on the Southside of Franklin Avenue throughout the summer and into the fall until two new lanes of concrete pavement have been constructed on the Northside of Franklin Avenue.
ComEd continues to relocate electrical facilities on the Northside of Franklin Avenue from Acorn Lane to East of Wolf Road, and from I-294 to Williams Drive which will be completed this year. This work will have a minor impact on daily traffic and should not require road closures. This work will continue through the winter.
Beginning Tuesday, April 4, southbound Northwest Avenue will be detoured through late summer for utility work and ongoing Cook County reconstruction of the North Avenue Interchange in Elmhurst and Northlake. A detour will be posted. North Avenue (Illinois Route 64) between Railroad Avenue and Northwest Avenue is scheduled to be reduced to two lanes in each direction for pavement work to prepare for a traffic shift. Once that work is complete in late May, westbound traffic on North Avenue between Railroad Avenue and I-290 is scheduled to shift to the inside with traffic remaining reduced to two lanes in each direction and one lane of westbound traffic traveling on the eastbound side of North Avenue in a counterflow configuration. When this work is complete this summer, traffic will shift again, this time with eastbound North Avenue shifted to the inside and one lane of traffic traveling on the westbound side of North Avenue in a counterflow configuration. The work is scheduled to be completed in late summer.
MORE INFORMATION: Construction Projects
CONSTRUCTION NOTICE
Franklin Avenue Reconstruction Project
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has contracted with Plote Construction, Inc. to construct the Franklin Avenue Reconstruction Project. This project consists of reconstruction and widening of Franklin Avenue from Runge Street to the Mannheim Road bridge, and reconstruction of Williams Drive from Belmont Avenue to Franklin Avenue. This project includes a new closed storm sewer system, water main installation, traffic signal improvements, new roadway lighting, a multi-use pedestrian path, signs, landscaping, and pavement markings.
The Contractor is scheduled to begin construction of temporary traffic signals and pavement widening in late May 2022. Major construction activity is scheduled to begin this summer and will continue throughout the next two years. The overall completion date is anticipated to occur in the summer of 2024.
A summary of anticipated major activities includes the following:
Temporary Roadway Widening: Summer 2022
Canadian Pacific Railway Crossing Replacement: Fall 2022
Stage 1 (Utilities/Roadway work on North Franklin and East Williams): Fall 2022 thru Summer 2023
Stage 2 (Utilities/Roadway work at center lane of Franklin and Williams): Summer 2023
Stage 3 (Utilities/Roadway work on South Franklin and West Williams): Summer 2023 thru Winter 2023
Stage 4 (Final Paving of all areas and Traffic Signals): Spring 2024
We understand that this project will be very intrusive to businesses and truck drivers throughout this corridor. There are provisions in the contract to maintain dock access, and short duration restrictions will be required at times. The engineering staff will coordinate this work with business owners at least 14 days before work begins to make prior arrangements.
Questions or Concerns
The Village of Franklin Park is aware of the disruption and inconvenience that will be caused and appreciates your patience and cooperation during this construction project. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the Consulting Resident Engineer, Kevin Wilson at (847) 833-0274.
"Franklin Avenue Project Limits"
The Franklin Avenue Roadway Reconstruction Project continues to proceed with construction of utility relocations before Temporary Pavement can be constructed. Beginning on 9/1, the Contractor will construct Temporary Pavement Widening of the south side of Franklin Avenue from Runge to Williams. The construction of Temporary Pavement uses Concrete materials which will require driveway closures for a period of 3-4 days. We are coordinating access with businesses in advance of this work to limit inconveniences. The construction of Temporary Pavement should be complete by mid-September. Once this is complete, a new traffic pattern will be installed and the installation of new Storm Sewers will begin and continue through Winter 2022-2023