Reopening of Golf/New Wilke intersection just days away

It could happen Thursday, Friday or Saturday — the reopening of the heavily traveled Golf Road/New Wilke Road intersection in Rolling Meadows.

The intersection has been under construction since April, as work crews widened and reconfigured a stretch of Golf Road from Continental Tower Drive to Salt Creek Bridge. During construction, traffic had to squeeze by the intersection via just one lane in each direction, leading to grueling delays.

“It was a big pain,” Rolling Meadows Public Work Director Fred Vogt said.

But the end should be near. Vogt said that the only work left to be done is some pavement striping. When that will be completed will depend on the weather.

“They’ve said it could be Thursday, Friday or Saturday, depending on what happens, weather-wise,” he said. “It looks like we’re supposed to get some warmer temperatures this week.”

When completed, Golf Road will provide three lanes of traffic in each direction through the New Wilke intersection. Included in the design is a second left-turn lane from eastbound Golf to northbound New Wilke.

Other improvements that are included in the reconstruction project, including parkway restoration, will take place in the spring of 2014.

The intersection is one of the more heavily traveled locations in Rolling Meadows. City officials have estimated that 70,000 cars pass through it each day, a volume that led to traffic snarls during the morning and afternoon rush periods. Popular commercial destinations like Meijer, Starbuck’s and Portillo’s sit on either side of Golf Road near the intersection.

“The traffic flow should be much better than before the project,” Vogt said. “It should really help those who live, work or shop in that area. There are a lot of merchants there that I am sure will be very happy.”

A manager at Portillo’s said Wednesday that customers have complained about the construction, saying it made getting to the restaurant difficult and confusing. Katie Browne, an Arlington Heights resident who works in Schaumburg, stopped by the restaurant in the early afternoon.

“Yeah, the intersection gets pretty bad,” she said. “The reopened road should feel much better.”

Reconstruction of the intersection will cost a little over $8 million. Rolling Meadows has contributed $500,000, and the rest of the tab is being picked up by the state and federal governments.