Naperville seeking feedback on plans for widening, improving 248th Avenue

Naperville will seek community feedback on plans to improve 248th Avenue in an area where officials say the city has experienced "tremendous growth" the last decade.

The stretch of roadway from 95th to 103rd streets is one lane in each direction, with ditches and no lighting along either side, said Ray Fano, project engineer.

"It's basically rural," he said. "What the city would like to do is bring it up to city standard."

That would likely entail widening and reconstructing 248th Avenue to create two lanes in each direction with a median down the middle, Fano said.

Upgrades also could include installing curbs and gutters, putting up streetlights and adding a sidewalk or bike path on the east side.

The goal is to make the road safer at night and provide a better experience for drivers, while also improving pedestrian and recreational connectivity, Fano said. City officials hope the improvements will mitigate cut-through traffic in nearby neighborhoods.

The project is partly driven by the widespread development in the southern portion of Naperville over the last 10 years, Fano said, pointing to the residential communities that surround 248th Avenue.

That part of town is booming," he said. "That's another reason why we want to bring up the road to city standards is the growth that's happening there."

The yearlong construction project is tentatively scheduled to begin in May 2023, city officials said.

Roughly 100 people attended an informational meeting last November to ask questions and share concerns about the stretch of roadway. Based on that feedback, Fano said, city officials developed three alternatives that will be presented to the public over the next two weeks.

The first meeting takes place virtually at 7 p.m. today and requires participants to register online.

The second is an outdoor, in-person open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10, at the Commissioners Park pavilion, 3704 111th St.

Following new COVID-19 restrictions announced for Will County, attendance will be limited to 25 people at a time, including staff members and project consultants, officials said. A line may be formed to accommodate those who are waiting.

The maps and exhibits for the three proposals will be available on the project website after today's Zoom meeting, Fano said.