Rail, Dunham work will slow Bartlett traffic

Two road projects slated to start next week in Bartlett could slow the commute for motorists.

Canadian National plans to start a routine repaving project at 8 a.m. Monday at the Elgin Joliet & Eastern rail crossing at West Bartlett Road. Construction should take 10 days, finishing late on Sept. 10.

Motorists are told to detour to Sutton Road/Route 59 to Stearns Road to Route 25.

But that will take motorists right into another project: the reconfiguring of the intersection of Dunham Road and Route 25, which involves shifting a section of Dunham west.

Commuters can expect long delays caused by heavy construction equipment and flaggers until November.

"The intersection of Illinois 25 and Dunham Road is, frankly, a really bad intersection to begin with," said Kane County Department of Transportation's Kevin Ahern. "Traffic already backs up."

The roadwork presents a bit of a planning dilemma for the Bartlett Fire Protection District. Chief Kevin Heine said the department has asked South Elgin to assist on certain calls to the west of the train tracks during construction. Traffic delays could stall Bartlett's response times.

CN typically has to resurface this crossing every two or three years, which gives Bartlett crews experience dealing with construction, Heine said.

"It's not the first, and it's not the last," he said.

Heine also has this advice for drivers in construction zones who see emergency vehicles approaching: If you can't move to the side because of construction, just stay in your lane and let the emergency vehicles pass.

"It's an inconvenience, it's like anyone else. Construction slows you travel times down," Heine said. "It also slows our travel time down."

• Staff Writer James Fuller contributed to this report.