Rolling Meadows braces for Golf Road construction

Only a short stretch of roadway will be rebuilt to modernize the intersection of Golf and New Wilke roads in Rolling Meadows, but officials expect a lot of grief during the approximately nine months of construction.

Officials hope construction starts March 1 and be complete, with all lanes open to traffic, by the end of the year.

At least one lane of traffic in each direction, as well as all business driveways, will be open throughout construction.

However, with 70,000 cars passing through the intersection each day, officials urge anyone who possibly can take another route to do so.

The project will cost $5.3 million, less than the $7 million initially expected, said Fred Vogt, the city’s director of public works. All but $500,000 will come from federal and state programs.

Construction on Golf will stretch from Continental Tower Drive to Salt Creek Bridge. New Wilke, which dead-ends into the Continental Towers parking lot, was rebuilt a few years ago.

When the project is finished, Golf will be widened to three through lanes in each direction plus turn lanes. This includes two left-turn lanes from eastbound Golf to northbound Wilke that are expected to see considerable traffic.

Traffic signals, storm sewers, sidewalk, bike path, driveway entrances and landscaping are among the improvements planned in the project city engineers have had in the works for several years. The contractor is Martam Construction Inc. of Elgin.

The city will update the work’s status on its website, www.ci.rollingmeadows.il.us.

Officials plan to provide information on the Golf Road construction and discuss an ongoing Regional Transportation Authority study of alternative transportation options in the area with people who work in major office buildings starting today.