State eyes property for Route 59 expansion

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

While Route 59 expansion still is a few years off, the state already is appraising properties it will need to accomplish the $118 million project.

The expansion will widen Route 59 to three through lanes in either direction from just south of Ferry Road to Aurora Avenue. As a result, Illinois Department of Transportation representatives said the agency has identified approximately 126 properties that will lose land to the widening project.

Last week, the Naperville City Council voted to suspend enforcement on sign regulations for businesses up and down Route 59 in anticipation of IDOT sending out offer letters to property owners in coming weeks.

“None are full parcels,” said Guy Tridgell, IDOT spokesman. “They’re essentially bits and pieces.”

And while the city has found more than 30 signs that will likely need to be moved out of the right of way — including five for Design Pointe, another five for Delta Sonic and about two dozen more for other hotels, restaurants and shopping centers — no homes or businesses will need to be relocated, according to IDOT.

According to the city, IDOT’s appraisal process has already begun. Still, IDOT is not releasing exactly which properties will be purchased.

“We’re not even that far yet,” said Tridgell. “At this point, we’re still waiting for approval of phase one, the proposal and engineering. That could happen at any time, so there’s no hard and fast date when the letters are going to go out.”

Once they do, property owners will have 60 days to reply. After 90 days, IDOT can begin the condemnation process, said Tridgell.

But actual construction, which will tie up traffic on the roadway for three years, won’t likely begin until around 2013 at the earliest.

“Funding for the project is in the 2011 to 2016 multi-year program,” said Tridgell. “We’re targeting for the contract for construction to fall somewhere in the middle of that. There are no hard dates at this point.”

Once sawhorses and blinking lights go up for the three-year project, a minimum of two lanes of traffic will be kept open for the duration of construction.

The major exception to that rule will be between North Aurora Road and Meridian Lake Drive, where traffic will be reduced to one lane in either direction to accommodate construction under the BNSF railway bridge. The roadway will be expanded to three lanes in either direction, but lanes on the finished thoroughfare are expected to be slightly narrower and a sidewalk will be installed on only one side of Route 59 so that the Metra line will be able to continue using the existing overpass.

“We’re not anticipating our work having any impact on the Metra line,” said Tridgell, adding, “We’re anticipating this being a daytime job, but we’re still pretty early along in things.”

The Route 59 expansion project is estimated to cost $118 million. Funding is coming from the state’s capital program, Illinois Jobs Now!, passed last year.

Planned work

Among the major improvements to be made to Route 59:

Three through lanes

Once completed, Route 59 will have three through lanes in either direction, including under the BNSF railway bridge. Intersections up and down Route 59 will also get additional turn and through lanes.

I-88 interchange

The initial plan for the roadway improvements called for a new diverging diamond interchange for I-88 that would result in oncoming traffic lanes crossing. IDOT is now proceeding with a traditional design similar to the current interchange, but with more lanes to increase traffic capacity.

Access changes

The median along Route 59 between intersections will be closed off, and access points to the roadway will be right-in, right-out only. Right-in access points to parking lots will have longer right turn lanes to keep traffic flowing. U-turns will be allowed at intersections to allow traffic to turn into the direction of travel.

Extras

Traffic signal timing will be adjusted to improve flow, and the pedestrian crosswalks, sidewalks and crossing signals will be added. Sound barriers will likely be added to reduce noise for nearby residences.