Plainfield Route 30 construction continuing as crews work to meet 2017 deadline

PLAINFIELD – Construction crews on Route 30 are continuing to work on good weather days, keeping an aggressive timeline to finish by summer 2017.

Motorists on Route 30 will continue to see crews temporarily shifting and closing lanes during daytime hours between Interstate 55 and Renwick Road.

“[The Illinois Department of Transportation] is currently in Stage 1 of construction on U.S. 30 between Renwick Road and U.S. 55,” IDOT spokeswoman Gianna Urgo said. “The contract is ongoing and will not be suspended for winter, but work is weather-dependent.”

Urgo said pavement work still needs to be completed.

Village planner Jonathan Proulx said crews are working on underground utility work now, and should start shifting traffic to temporary pavement soon.

The goal of the roadwork is to improve traffic flow and safety along Route 30, Urgo said. But it's also a big project for the village of Plainfield, which is looking at improving the blighted economic corridor on Route 30.

The segment between Route 59 and Renwick Road was shut down for five months last year as a center turn lane was added. The roadwork was completed, but Proulx said parkway work, including a bike path, and landscaping is still left.

Proulx said drivers can expect light utility work in that stretch of Route 30, but the parkway and landscaping work is likely to “hit full speed” in April.

“I believe we’re cautiously optimistic to have a sooner than summer 2017 completion date, but we haven’t heard that as a fact yet,” Proulx said.