Arlington Heights Library's garage project starts in July

Construction on a $1.1 million parking lot renovation at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library begins in July, officials said.

The library board this week approved construction contracts for the work, which aims to better delineate where patrons should walk and cars should drive.

"The main focus of this project is safety," said Mike Driskell, the library's director of administration. "What we're trying to do is separate pedestrian traffic from vehicle traffic. The pavement is going to be treated differently for pedestrian walkways and areas so it's clearly marked, and feels different if you drive on it."

The project also includes narrowing the garage entrance for cars, changing the flow of traffic, adding signage, installing a different facade at the garage entrance, replacing all lighting in the garage and resurfacing the lot.

Construction will happen in five phases, and portions of the garage won't be available for parking as the project progresses. Signage, the library's social media pages and the website will direct patrons where to park.

The drive-through book drop is expected to be closed for a week while that portion of the garage is under construction. Work should wrap up by the end of September.

"The impact we hope will be minimum," Driskell said. "We will try our best to keep things open as much as possible."