Demo work creates minor jam on Route 47 in Huntley

Route 47 in the heart of Huntley was snarled for about 15 minutes Thursday when bricks from a building being demolished bounced into the road.

The incident at Route 47 just north of Main Street about 2:45 p.m. caused minor damage to some vehicles but no injuries. Crews were demolishing the former Randy's cycle shop as part of the Route 47 widening project.

"They were in the process of taking it down and the exterior wall fell out," said Huntley Fire Protection District Chief Jim Saletta. The wall did not fall directly on any vehicles but debris bounced into the road.

"This one was fairly close to the roadway," Saletta said of the building.

About six buildings near the downtown area are or will be demolished for the project, which involves rebuilding and widening Route 47 from two to five lanes from Kreutzer Road to Reed Road, a distance of about 21/2 miles.

A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transporation, which is contracting the $23.8 million project, was not immediately available Thursday afternoon.

Current work involves moving electric utility lines and gas mains, said Rob Scardino, an engineer with the village. Once that is complete, the work to build two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane will begin in earnest.

The work involves two full construction seasons with half the project scheduled to be complete in October with and the entire project finished by October 2011.