Naperville to fund lighting along Rt. 59

Safety and navigation won out Tuesday night as Naperville councilmen unanimously approved about $1 million in lighting costs along a soon-to-be-improved three-mile stretch of Route 59.

City staffers recommended that the city fund the installation of streetlights on Rt. 59 for two main reasons, safety and navigation.

The city has consistently installed street lighting along improved arterial roadways including Washington Street, Aurora Avenue, Naper Boulevard and 95th Street with the primary purpose of safety. They say data shows that street lighting provides a 20 to 30 percent reduction in accidents and crashes.

They said lighting also assists motorists navigating unfamiliar areas, especially this stretch that they called a “critical transportation corridor providing access to commercial business and major employers.”

The Illinois Department of Transportation recently estimated the city will be responsible for between $1.2 million and $1.7 million for the improvements made to Route 59 between Aurora Avenue and Ferry Road.

With roughly $2.9 million left of the nearly $4.6 million the city budgeted over the next two years, city officials say they have sufficient funds budgeted.

IDOT will pay for lighting Route 59 from north of I-88 to Diehl Road but no lights are planned from Diehl Road south to Aurora Avenue.

The Route 59 renovations, scheduled to start this summer or fall, will give the road three through lanes in both directions and dual left and right turn lanes at the major intersections.

Information about potential lane closures, scheduling and other impacts to motorists, businesses and residents will be posted on the city’s website.