Roadwork to start near DuPage government complex in Wheaton

Wheaton drivers won't have to chill out to an Enya playlist during this spring's construction season.

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to start separate resurfacing projects on two well-traveled arterial routes - Manchester Road and President Street - the week of April 26.

But the statewide stay-at-home order means there won't be the usual traffic crunch around roadwork. The age of self-isolation also will help accelerate construction, said Sarang Lagvankar, Wheaton's senior project engineer.

"The timing just happened to work out while the isolation is in effect," Lagvankar said via email Wednesday. "The reduction in traffic does help construction and hopefully a lot of the delays will be minimized during this time."

Hoffman Estates-based Plote Construction will work on both roads concurrently, but Manchester may take longer because more sidewalks need to be replaced at the intersections, Lagvankar said.

Crews are resurfacing a stretch of Manchester from County Farm Road to Gables Boulevard, just west of the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The DuPage County government complex, the county fairgrounds and neighborhoods west of downtown stand in the path of construction.

Crews also are resurfacing President from Harrison Avenue to Geneva Road.

Both roads will remain open to traffic, though flaggers will direct drivers around lane closures on days when pavement grinding and paving are happening, Lagvankar said. Electronic message boards will notify drivers of detours.

IDOT is administering federal funds for the work and dictating the schedule. The city's share will cost $199,500 for construction on Manchester and about $9,000 for engineering. The city is paying $239,000 for improvements on President.

Manchester, the main arterial road connecting the city's west and east sides, hasn't been repaved in about 15 years.

Both projects will replace curbs and sidewalks at intersections for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, followed by pavement resurfacing.

A contract completion date is set for July, barring unforeseen circumstances. Based on the current schedule, crews might finish by mid-June if the weather cooperates, Lagvankar said.