Plans in works to widen underpass between Naperville, Aurora

Naperville, Aurora and Naperville Township are taking early steps toward widening a 100-year-old railroad underpass on the boundary of the two cities that snarls traffic because it's only one lane in each direction.

Construction to widen the North Aurora Road underpass at Canadian National's Elgin Joliet and Eastern railroad won't start this year, said Bill Novack, director of transportation, engineering and development for the city of Naperville. But preparations are beginning for a $35 million project to build a wider underpass that will improve safety, increase trail connections and decrease congestion between Illinois' second- and fifth-largest cities.

"It's a bottleneck in the area right now," Novack said about the underpass between Route 59 and Eola Road. "It's a huge bottleneck and we want to eliminate that."

Plans call for widening the underpass to two lanes in each direction with a sidewalk on one side and a bike lane on the other, giving cars, cyclists and people on foot more room to get under the tracks.

"It will make a huge difference for people who travel that road" who could be Naperville residents heading to sporting events at Metea Valley High School or Aurora residents coming to Route 59 to shop, Novack said.

Both cities and the township now will begin negotiations and appraisals to buy the land needed to widen the underpass from seven property owners.

TranSystems Corporation of Schaumburg, which was hired nearly 10 years ago to begin planning for underpass expansion, will handle the preparation for buying the land under a roughly $113,000 increase to its contract that Naperville City Council members approved this week. The governments are splitting the cost of pre-land acquisition work, with Aurora and Naperville Township each paying $48,600 and Naperville contributing $16,200.

Novack said Naperville's share is smaller because less land remains to be purchased on its side of the bridge.

Underpass expansion has been delayed because of Canadian National's acquisition of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern railroad, Novack said in a memo. But with both cities and the township on board, the project can move forward as officials look for money to fund it.

The underpass is listed as a priority on Naperville's legislative action plan, and Novack said the city is seeking federal grants to support design engineering and construction. The project does not yet have an estimated completion date, but Novack said it is a much-needed improvement that will give drivers an alternative to at-grade crossings like the one at Diehl Road to the north.

"There will be more and more trains on that line," he said. "The need for an improved underpass there is pretty high."