W. Chicago intersection to get $9.4 million upgrade

A busy intersection in West Chicago is scheduled to get a roughly $9.4 million makeover next year to improve the flow of traffic between Kane and DuPage counties.

DuPage County Board members this week approved an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for intersection improvements and traffic signal modernization at Fabyan Parkway and Route 38.

As part of the deal, DuPage will pay about $1.9 million of the project's estimated $9.36 million price tag. The rest of the cost will be paid with federal grant money secured by the state.

Chris Snyder, DuPage's director of transportation/county engineer, said the project is being pursued primarily to relieve traffic congestion at the intersection, which is used by an estimated 43,400 vehicles daily.

"There's significant turning volumes as people use Fabyan to move to and from DuPage and Kane counties," Snyder said. "There are a lot of cars."

During the morning commute, most of the cars and trucks using the intersection are northbound on Fabyan and making right turns to go east on Route 38.

In the afternoon, the heavy traffic flow is reversed with vehicles on westbound Route 38 making left turns to go south on Fabyan.

As part of the project, the intersection will be rebuilt and widened so more lanes can be added.

Route 38 will get double left-turn lanes and a right-turn lane. Currently, there's only one lane for left turns and none dedicated for right turns.

Fabyan, which becomes Washington Street north of Route 38, will get a second lane for traffic going straight. It will continue to have dedicated lanes for right and left turns.

The intersection is down road from an overpass the state is building at Route 38 and Kautz Road. When that nearly $26 million project is done, vehicles on Route 38 will be able to pass over the Union Pacific tracks.

Snyder said both projects will make it easier for motorists to get around the area.

Another project DuPage wants to pursue is a proposed widening of Fabyan from two lanes to four between Route 38 and the border of Kane County.

"We don't have the funding for it," Snyder said, "but we've done some early studies to at least identify its footprint."

In the meantime, officials are focusing on the improvements to the intersection. The work is scheduled to start in the spring and be finished by next fall.