Back to School Traffic Faces Additional Challenges at MHS

Mundelein drivers are urged to use patience and caution once school begins on Wednesday, Aug. 13, due to road closures on nearby State Route 83.

Road construction on Route 83 at Winchester Road is expected to increase congestion on Midlothian Road and Hawley Street, especially during weekday mornings and afternoons during the school year. Police anticipate the heaviest traffic between 7 and 9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. on school days.

“We ask that drivers be patient, allow extra time for travel or plan to use alternate routes,” Mundelein Police Chief Jason Seeley said.

While Mundelein High School is undergoing facilities improvements, the high school construction is not expected to impede traffic flow. MHS has built new bus lanes in the same place as last year and the school construction site will be contained behind a fence on the west side of the building.

“The school buses are going to come in the same way,” MHS Facilities Director Kevin Quinn said. “There will be no change to the parking lot, so our construction will have minimal impact on traffic.”

Students arriving by bus will enter the school at the same entrance as in previous years, but will walk under a temporary canopy to enter. The construction area will be fenced off and the temporary canopy will be weatherproofed and equipped with lighting and cameras.

School buses will run on Thursday, Aug. 7, during the MHS Freshman Orientation Day. Students will arrive between 8 and 8:30 a.m. and leave about noon on that day. Buses are also expected to take a test run on Tuesday, Aug. 12; the day before classes begin.

School begins at 8:40 a.m. starting on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and ends at 3:20 p.m. The school will be open early and students driving to school or being dropped off are welcome to get to school early. There will be no construction — and no changes — this year to the east side of campus where student parking and drop-off are located.