What's Up With Route 30?

The impact of the grand Route 30 widening project is more evident than ever now, with Anderson Road shut down and lanes reduced and shifted in various directions.

The long-awaited Route 30 project, , involves reconstructing the roadway, building a second lane in both directions and adding a raised concrete median for nine miles through New Lenox, Mokena and Frankfort.

Traffic has slowed and businesses have been obscured especially in the past month as construction crews have worked to install storm sewers on the north side of Route 30 near . 

Anderson Road, which was closed since Feb. 15 for that construction, should re-open this week. Village engineer Will Nash gave the streets committee an update Monday at . 

After the Anderson Road work is completed, the crew will switch its focus to the opposite side of Country Charm in about a week when it goes to the east on Lincolnway Drive.

In the meantime, work has also been done in front of the restaurant, reducing the four-lane portion of Route 30 to just two lanes between Marley Road to Williams Street. 

The crew shifted there because while members were working on Anderson Road, the they unexpectedly hit a ComEd line and stalled the storm sewer installation.

On Feb. 27 a , shutting down that stretch of Route 30 for a few hours. Nash said the storm sewers should all be in the ground within a week. 

"It's just been the perfect storm of a situation over there," Nash said. 

IDOT has also started constructing a temporary lane on the south end of Route 30. That will stretch from Anderson Road to the retail center with Target. The work has closed the west entrance to the strip center across from . Nash said the temporary lane should take about a month to complete.

After that's done, drivers will shift to the two south lanes, allowing IDOT to begin building new lanes on the north side of Route 30. The existing eastbound lane will be for drivers heading west, while the new temporary lane will lead east. 

Some work as moved along a bit more quickly in Frankfort, but in New Lenox there were easement issues with utility companies that delayed the project. Nash said IDOT hasn't updated its target completion date of September 2012 but was doubtful the project would be finished by then.

"I don't think they could tell you with a straight face that they're on schedule," Nash said. "I think September 2013 is more likely."

Visit the IDOT website for project information and a work zone map.