The second and final stage of the North Aurora Road Improvement Project in Naperville is set to begin next week.
Work includes replacing the 110-year-old Canadian National/Wisconsin Central Railroad bridge over North Aurora Road with a new structure that will accommodate five traffic lanes, a multiuse trail and a sidewalk, a city news release said. New roadway lighting, a pump station and increased vertical clearance are part of the project.
Construction on the second phase comes nearly two years after the completion of the first phase, which included the widening of North Aurora Road from Fairway Drive to Frontenac Road.
Phase one was done in collaboration with the Naperville Township Road District. For phase two, the city will work in collaboration with the township road district and the city of Aurora, with each having jurisdiction over parts of the roadway. The three agencies first started working together on the project in 2006, the release said.
Construction on phase two was delayed because more time was needed to “finalize and execute the numerous agreements and easements needed for the project,” according to Andy Hynes, city deputy engineer. That includes agreements with Aurora, the township road district, Illinois Commerce Commission and other agencies.
Early work on the bridge will focus on land clearing for pump station installation to improve drainage at the underpass and construction of a temporary bridge to allow continued rail traffic, the release said.
While the majority of the bridge construction will take place on the shoulder of the roadway with little impact on traffic, there may be lane closures during the early months of the project. Drivers should expect one lane of traffic in each direction to be open for most of the construction but finding alternate routes might be preferable.
In early spring 2026, a detour will be implemented to accommodate bridge removal and reconstruction as well as the relocation of a large gas pipeline needed for the roadway widening, the release said.
The completion date is expected to be at the end of 2027.
Phase two will cost about $52 million, an increase from a prior estimate of $38 million. Phase one cost about $10.1 million to complete, according to Hynes.
“The primary reason for the change is that the new figure is based upon the actual low bid from the general contractor for the roadway work,” he said. “The prior cost was an estimate.”
Other factors, such as refinement of the engineering design details, also contributed to the cost increase, Hynes said.
In addition to local funding, the project is being funded with money from the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
