One-Two Roadwork Punch Hits St. Charles

If you’ve become used to a little less congestion and a little easier driving along East Main Street over the past three months, prepare to change lanes and shift into low gear: The Route 64 reconstruction project begins its third and final season Monday.

And there’s another shoe falling this year: A year-long construction project on Route 38 with complete the one-two punch to east-west access on main thoroughfares in the area.

A little more than a week ago, the city issued a release saying work would resume the week of March 25. On Friday, St. Charles Engineering Manager James Bernahl of the Department of Public Works wrote in an email that the Illinois Department of Transporation’s contractor is set to resume work Monday, after a relative lull in activity for the past three months.

While lane closures largely ended during the “winter break,” work crews continued on a scaled back roster of activities to complete some less disruptive work in preparation for making the final stretch of work more smooth.

This is scheduled to be the final season of construction on the $49.2 million project, which encompasses 5.1 miles of Route 64 from Route 59 in DuPage County to 7th Avenue in St. Charles. Officials have said substantial completion of the project is expected by Aug. 31, 2013.

7^th Avenue to Kirk Road

Beginning Monday, expect to see traffic-control devices begin popping up to reduce traffic to just two lanes along East Main Street/Route 64.

According to Bernahl’s email, once work begins, East Main Street will be reduced to two lanes of traffic on the south side of the roadway. Once traffic shifts to those two lanes, the contractor will begin removing the roadway on the north side. That work will start near 7^th Avenue and East Main and move eastward. Removal of the roadway will make way for the planned storm sewer upgrade work, Bernahl wrote that since much of the utility relocation work was completed last tear, this work is expected to be completed in a timely manner.

38^th Avenue to Route 59

Much of the roadway removal for the center lanes is done. There will be a temporary halt in construction on this part of the project until the weather allows for the placement of concrete.

Bernahl said the contractor expects to complete the final section of storm sewer on the north side of East Main Street just east of Kautz Road. intersection.

The contractor has delayed the remaining concrete roadway work on Kautz Road south of East Main Street, and Smith Road north of East Main Street. Bernahl’s emails states that no specific date has been set for this work to begin except that it is weather-related.

Related stories:

• March 21, 2013:
• Aug. 15, 2012: Route 64 Closure Has Some Asking: When Will Construction End?
• Nov. 23, 2010: Route 64 Reconstruction Coming in Summer 2011

Related links:

• City of St. Charles: Route 64 web page
• Illinois Department of Transportation: Route 64 Improvement Project
• IDOT: Route 64 FAQ

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