Bolingbrook and Romeoville residents will be able to see the earliest vestiges of a long-simmering plan between Will County and the Illinois Department of Transportation to improve the often-clogged interchange at Interstate 55 and Weber Road.
These first signs of an improved interchange will mean roadwork on two ramps could affect traffic from Weber onto I-55 through November, according to an IDOT announcement.
The work will affect the left shoulder of the on-ramps from Weber to I-55, according to IDOT.
Construction will take place nightly from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to IDOT, and will also result in a northbound lane closure on Weber during those hours.
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The current project involves embankment construction in advance of future ramp construction, according to the department.
Trucks and construction equipment will be entering and exiting the work zone from the northbound and southbound entrance ramps, as well as from Weber, according to IDOT.
“Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area,” the IDOT announcement states. “Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.”
In a release from Gov. Pat Quinn’s office last month, officials expect the main construction contracts for the $69.2 million interstate project to be awarded next summer.
No timetable has been given regarding when the project will be completed but officials say it is an essential reaction to the county’s growth.
“Improve the interchange at I-55 and Weber Road is one of Will County’s highest priority highway projects,” county Executive Larry Walsh said in the Quinn release. “It has become a choke point for the more than 350,000 residents who live in an area of the county that has seen tremendous growth in both population and employment.”
In addition to a new “diverging diamond” interchange that will give drivers faster access to and from the interstate, the project will also involve widening Weber to six lanes between 119th and 135th streets.
The interchange serves more than 40,000 vehicles daily, according to the release.
The state is scheduled to pay $32.7 million of the cost, the release states, with the county chipping in $36.5 million.