Central Road resurfacing begins today in Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect

Drivers in Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect should brace for delays and detours starting today as work begins to resurface a 3-mile stretch of Central Road.

Construction crews will start on both ends of the project - at Rand Road and at Arlington Heights Road - and work their way toward the middle to avoid Mount Prospect's Fourth of July parade route that includes the downtown area, as well as the Downtown Block Party on July 27 and 28.

Construction is targeted for completion by year's end.

"It'll affect traffic obviously because there will be reduced lanes," said Sean Dorsey, Mount Prospect's public works director, noting that the four-lane corridor at times could be reduced to one lane each way.

"They probably will try to avoid working during the rush hours," he added.

The $3.2 million project, primarily funded by the state, includes grinding down existing pavement and placing two new layers of asphalt on Central Road, followed by pavement re-striping. Mount Prospect Road, from Rand Road to just south of Central Road, will be redone and re-striped to improve traffic flow in the area, Dorsey said.

Crews also will install new curbs and ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps at intersections - the red-colored bumpy pads that assist those with impaired vision.

Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights also are sharing costs with the state for pedestrian crossing signals - with push buttons and countdown clocks - at the intersection of Central Road and Arthur Avenue.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over Central Road, is coordinating the project. It awarded a contract for the work to Mount Prospect-based Arrow Road Construction.

The last time Central Road was repaired was 2005, though that work was less extensive, Dorsey said. The newest resurfacing project should give the road a 15-year life, he said.