Algonquin Road construction plus lane closures equals driver angst
Aspirin and anger-management techniques will be necessary for drivers using Algonquin Road (Route 62) in northwest Cook County this summer.
Illinois Department of Transportation crews are patching and resurfacing the busy corridor between Golf Road and Route 83 in Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect and Des Plaines. That means intermittent lane closures on the corridor for the next few months, officials said.
As of Friday, workers had reached the busy intersection of Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads in Arlington Heights, causing backups and massive delays.
With the old pavement stripped away, two layers of asphalt come next, IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell explained. The first layer should be applied Saturday or early next week, the final one in late August or early September.
"In each instance, there will be traffic impacts for a couple of days, but these are strictly temporary, daytime lane closures," Tridgell said.
Construction will last through autumn and start up next spring with completion expected in June 2020. In the meantime, motorists are advised to allow extra time for trips or plan alternate routes.
Throughout the project, sidewalk and curbs will be repaired first, and patching and resurfacing will follow. Some driveways may be briefly closed but "every effort will be made to maintain access," planners said.
Despite causing significant impacts on drivers, the project is not a complicated one, Tridgell said. It's "standard patching and resurfacing with rolling impacts not lasting more than a couple of days in one location at a time," he noted.
IDOT officials urged drivers to be patient, drive the speed limit and watch out for flaggers and workers in the construction zone.
To learn more about summer road work, go to idot.illinois.gov/about-idot/stay-connected/news-releases/Construction/releases.