Route 64 Work Gears Up for Traffic Pattern Shift

Work continues on the East Main Street/Route 64 reconstruction project in St. Charles, according to St. Charles Public Works Engineering Manager James Bernahl, who said in his weekly email update that much of the work along this corridor has been focused on the upcoming traffic pattern change east of Kautz Road.

Bernahl wrote that in the coming week, the contractor will be focusing on tightening things up for the holiday week.

Here is Bernahl’s rundown on what to expect:

East Side Project Limits:

38th Avenue to Route 59

Bernahl said the contractor is scheduling to frame and pour turn lanes, curb and gutter, driveways, and the base course for the north and south sides of East Main Street from 38th Avenue to the Kautz Road/Smith Road intersection.

The remaining concrete roadway work on Kautz Road south of East Main Street, and Smith Road north of East Main Street will not be completed until early 2013, although no specific start date has been set, Bernahl wrote. The contractor will watch for opportunities to complete this work after the first of the year.

Temporary driveway accesses have been restored to those businesses directly affected by this work. The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to add additional asphalt grindings to these intersections to improve traffic movements and safety in the winter months.

Temporary striping and signing work will continue for the traffic0staging change and is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, when the contractor expects to have the traffic shifted to the new roadway patterns. After that, Bernahl wrote, the contractor anticipates no additional work for the rest of the 2012.

West Side Project Limits

7th Avenue to Kirk Road

The contractor is coordinating with Union Pacific Railroad for the removal of the former railroad timbers and tracks that crossed East Main Street near South 11th Avenue. Union Pacific Railroad is required to remove and properly dispose of the timbers and track materials.

The contractor is expected to continue with the installation of electrical improvements through the winter months as weather permits, Bernahl wrote. No permanent lane closures are expected as part of this work, although motorists may see random daily lane closures at various points within the job site. The completion of this work during the winter months will help to expedite the roadway replacement work in 2013.

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