Butterfield construction headaches to increase

Think the traffic headaches related to the Butterfield Road widening project in Wheaton and Warrenville can’t get any worse? Think again.

After dodging a complete halt of the project last month, commuters can expect even worse delays after Illinois Department of Transportation officials announced Thursday that Herrick Road will close for about four weeks. The road crosses Butterfield at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.

Herrick Road will be closed for about 1,000 feet south of Butterfield Road.

IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell said the closures were necessary to ensure the work in that area finishes before Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 schools return to class Aug. 23. Hubble Middle School is also located on Herrick south of the intersection.

He said IDOT also considered staging at the intersection and closing lanes, similar to the work done on Naperville Road at Butterfield Road. “We elected to expedite the work to get it all done prior to the school year,” he said. “We weighed all the options and were concerned that school buses and young drivers would have to go through the intersections.

The work adds a lane in each direction, as well as a left and right turn lanes on northbound Herrick.

The closure is needed as part of a $52.6 million project that aims to widen about six miles of the busy street between Route 59 in Warrenville and Naperville Road in Wheaton.

The street will close just south of Butterfield on Monday and remain closed until about Aug. 15.

A detour route will be posted and will redirect southbound traffic west to Winfield Road, and south to Warrenville Road. Tridgell said motorists should expect delays and allow extra time for trips through the area.

The Butterfield Road project is expected to last until November 2012.