Butterfield Road work to begin in April

An estimated $70 million project to widen Butterfield Road from Naperville Road in Wheaton to Route 59 in Warrenville should begin sometime in April and could continue until at least fall 2012.

Wheaton officials approved about $365,000 for the project, although City Engineer Paul Redman said that cost could more than double once the preliminary estimates move into the actual bid process. As a result, the city has set aside $775,000 for the project in its next budget.

“Essentially, the state has given their preliminary estimate for our share,” Redman said. “We know from working with them that this cost is probably closer to $700,000. It’s what we think is more accurate than their first preliminary estimate.”

The roughly five-mile stretch of Butterfield Road will be expanded from a two-lane road into a four-lane highway.

The portion of work in Wheaton, which extends to just west of Wheaton Warrenville South High School, will cost about $38 million and nearly the entire amount will be paid for by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Additionally, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and the county itself will chip in.

The Wheaton Park District had asked for a traffic light at the entrance to Arrowhead Golf Club, about one mile east of Wiesbrook Road.

“We are advocating for whatever makes it as safe as possible,” said Executive Director Mike Benard. Benard said he had not seen results of a road safety study the park district requested but a turn lane had been included in the bid packets seeking contractors. However, the packets did not include a traffic signal.

For travelers, Redman said the biggest short-term headaches will come along some of the side roads such as Wiesbrook and Naperville, where intersection improvements will be completed and result in temporary lane reductions.

The improvements will modernize traffic lights and install emergency vehicle signals. Turn lanes will be lengthened or added.

The bulk of Wheaton’s share of the cost will pay for relocating a water main along Butterfield Road.

Redman said the project will be completed in two phases, with the first building the eastbound lanes. He said the traffic interruption should be minimal along Butterfield Road during that phase, aside from a few temporary traffic signals.

When the state first came to the city about the project, City Manager Don Rose said they suggested some improvements that would help the city, including sidewalk work and landscaping. Rose stressed that the state controls any construction on Butterfield, which is also known as Illinois Route 56.

“They’ll listen, but if it falls outside of their guidelines, they don’t have to oblige,” he said.

Rose said any headaches caused by construction will be worth it in the end.

“There is a lot of traffic on that roadway,” he said. “In the long run, it certainly will facilitate traffic control with landscaping. It will look better than the four lanes east of Naperville Road. It should be a bit nicer, if you can make a highway look nicer.”