Rt. 31 in Elgin will close from U.S. 20 to Adams St.

A short stretch of Route 31 in Elgin will be closed for four days, starting Wednesday, because of an unforeseen problem with the combined sewer separation project near U.S. 20.

Work will last from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, closing the northbound lanes of Route 31 from U.S. 20 to Adams Street. A detour will reroute traffic west on U.S. 20, north on McLean Boulevard, east on Larkin and Highland avenues and then back onto northbound Route 31, according to a City of Elgin news release.

Public Services Director David Lawry said the problem was caused by a lower moisture content in the soil than expected based on previous tests. One option that would have spared closing Route 31 was to use a grouting technique to stabilize the sand.

That option proved too expensive and ultimately uncertain.

“That cost was going to be in excess of $400,000 to do that work with no guarantee,” Lawry said.

City officials also considered working only at night to keep the busy thoroughfare open during high traffic times. They ruled that option out because of the noise it would impose on local residents.

Daytime closures during normal working hours would have taken 15 days, which is why Lawry said the city chose to pay overtime costs for the contractor to do the work faster.

Elgin's scheduled work overlaps with Illinois Department of Transportation resurfacing on U.S. 20 from Weld Road to Shales Parkway.