Why CN is delaying proposed Route 45 closure in Mundelein
A temporary closure of a busy stretch of Route 45 in Mundelein scheduled for next week has been postponed so a detour route can be developed, village officials said Friday.
Canadian National Railway crews were expected to shut down the northbound and southbound lanes of the state highway starting Wednesday morning on both sides of the railroad overpass north of Route 176. The closure was needed for a routine inspection of the bridge, Canadian National spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski said in an email Friday.
But the company hadn’t applied for a permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation, which maintains Route 45, or notified IDOT, the Lake County Division of Transportation or the village of the planned closure, Village Administrator Eric Guenther said.
Instead, Canadian National simply had set up electronic message boards warning drivers of the pending closure this week, Guenther said.
The lack of communication meant IDOT hadn’t developed a detour route for drivers on Route 45, which is one of the most heavily traveled north-south roads in that part of Lake County. Thousands of drivers travel on the road every day, Guenther said.
Drivers would’ve gotten to barricades and been forced to turn around, creating a “nightmare” situation for motorists headed north or south on Route 45, Guenther said.
“It would’ve been an absolute disaster,” he said.
Guenther discovered the message boards as he was headed home after work Wednesday night. He called other agencies to see what could be done to stop the work.
The inspection and necessary road closure will be delayed until Canadian National gets a permit from IDOT, Guenther said.
That process typically takes at least 21 days, he said.
In a follow-up email, Canadian National’s Michnowski confirmed the work has been postponed to June. She didn’t say why was the company hadn’t notified the village or transportation agencies of the proposed work or why it didn’t apply for a permit.
The north-south state highways closest to Route 45 are Route 60 to the west and Milwaukee Avenue to the east. Butterfield Road is closer than Milwaukee Avenue but isn’t designed to handle as much traffic.