Politics & Government

Route 59 in Naperville to Get Additional $34.6 Million From State for Improvements

Gov. Pat Quinn's office announced that the state will provide $34.6 million in addition to the $50.2 million approved last month for the work.

Illinois will now provide a total of $84.8 million for the Route 59 improvement project in Naperville and Aurora.

On Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn’s office announced that the state will provide $34.6 million in addition to the $50.2 million approved last month for the work, which will widen the heavily-traveled corridor to three lanes in both directions from Ferry Road to Aurora Avenue/New York Street.

Sidewalks, a shared-use path, noise walls and the reconfiguration of the Interstate 88 interchange will also be constructed.

“These significant improvements to Route 59 constitute the largest road construction project in the western suburbs this season,” Gov. Quinn said in a press release. “You will see hundreds of people at work on this job in the coming months.”

Construction is expected to begin in August and will take two years to complete.

While the end result will shave travel times and relieve congestion at major intersections along Route 59 such as Diehl Road and Route 59, the construction itself will cause a headache for drivers.

"It will have a significant impact," said Bill Novak, Transportation, Engineering and Development director in June. "People are going to have to budget more time to move north/south through the area and plan accordingly."

Some businesses along Route 59 may also be affected as access to smaller side streets and driveways will be restricted during construction. IDOT and city officials plan to meet with business owners to discuss the project before major construction begins.

The city of Naperville will also keep drivers notified on construction work on their website.

Councilman Bob Fieseler recently said that the city will finally have some "relief on Route 59," once the project is completed. 

“This is probably one of the biggest public works projects that this town will see for this decade,” he said at a City Council meeting in May. 

Shoppers and commuters may have already noticed some work being done on Route 59 in recent months. Last summer, IDOT crews removed trees along the roadway in preparation for the lane widening project.

Patch readers reacted to news of the improvements on Naperville Patch's Facebook page. Here's what they had to say:

I'd rather have a wasps nest dropped on my head than drive on 59 during evening rush hour. - Nick

I travel from Plainfield/South to Naperville and back often for my job. Always avoid 59 when I can! - Emilie 

Yep, avoid at all costs during rush hour. If I have to shop or run errands during this time, I head to Plainfield where it's much more calm. - Van

It's horrible from the mall to 88, everywhere else is just fine. -Denise

I avoid Rt 59 whenever possible! - Colleen

59 needs to be widened north of the mall to 88. - Jim

It's fine the way it is. I think the construction is much worse than the current traffic flow. - Melanie

Find out what's happening in Napervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here