Algonquin Road Single Lanes For Bypass Coming Sept. 10

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that construction of Algonquin's Route 31 Western Bypass will beginnext Tuesday, assuming the weather doesn't turn awful. IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell also put a start date of Sept. 10 to lane restrictions that will squeeze Algonquin Road down to one lane each way from about the top of the S-curve west to Meyer Drive.

The first week of bypass construction will mostly involve tree removal, Tridgell said. There are no permanent lane closures anticipated on Illinois 31, however, temporary, intermittent lane closures could be required at times to accommodate construction activity, according to Tridgell.

The Western Algonquin Bypass consists of building a new four-lane segment of Illinois 31, from just north of Cary Road to Edgewood Drive. Portions of Huntington Drive, Algonquin Road and the existing Illinois 31 will be widened and resurfaced to accommodate the new alignment. A new interchange also will be built between the new segment of Illinois 31 and Illinois 62.  The project's not expected to be finished until 2014, though.