February 11, 2025
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More progress made in Route 47 expansion project

Yorkville approves $100K agreement to relocate utilities ahead of road widening, state likely to reimburse

By Joey Weslo
2012: Crews demolished the Muellner building at the southwestcorner of Route 47 and Van Emmon Street in downtown Yorkville. The adjacent wall also came down to make room for a four-lane highway. (Shaw Media file photo)

The widening of Route 47 in northern Yorkville is designed to alleviate traffic problems along the expansive roadway, said Eric Dhuse, Yorkville director of public works. Dhuse said a similar construction project in downtown Yorkville helped mitigate traffic issues by widening the roadways. Pictured, crews in 2012 work on widening Route 47 in downtown Yorkville to four-lanes.

Yorkville has taken a significant stride toward alleviating traffic congestion on Route 47 by approving the engineering needed to relocate underground utilities in preparation for the massive construction undertaking.

The state has indicated they are likely to reimburse the city for their costs. City council will discuss at their Feb. 11 meeting the full agreement between the city and the state. City council previously approved an engineering agreement for $107,488 with Engineering Enterprises Inc. at their last meeting.

The infrastructure improvements would expand the Route 47 corridor from Kennedy Road in Yorkville out to Sugar Grove’s Cross Street. The Illinois Department of Transportation is involved in all parts of the project, including widening the intersections at Route 47 and Galena Road.

Once completed, Route 47 will be widened and expanded, and will feature pathways and bridges more accessible to pedestrians.

On Yorkville’s north side, city officials are negotiating with IDOT about who is financially responsible for each of the project’s parts. This section of the project stretches along Route 47 from Waterpark Way to Jericho Road.

“The state agrees to pay for all right of way, construction, and engineering cost subject to partial reimbursement by the city,” according to current city documents.

While the construction, which could take at least two years to complete, will cause a lot of traffic headaches, community members will see an immense improvement once it’s finished, said Eric Dhuse, Yorkville’s director of public works.

“It will move traffic so much better and more efficiently,” Dhuse said. “Right now, up at our north-end by Galena Road, it tends to back up in the early morning rush hour and the evening rush hour for probably a half-mile. This should alleviate that issue.”

In the northern section of the project alone, more than $1 million of new infrastructure and water mains needs to be relocated, according to city documents.

The project will also redo infrastructure along the route, like the Baseline Road bridge, which will be completely redesigned and connected to the pavement to make the intersection more pedestrian accessible.

While the construction work will be lengthy, Dhuse said, alleviating traffic congestion through re-designing roadways has proven successful before in the Yorkville area.

“We saw the same kinds of backups in downtown Yorkville, and at U.S. 34 and Route 47 before it was widened,” Dhuse said. “Now that everything is widened in that area, traffic moves through much better.”

While the city budgeted $180,000 to front contracts, the goal is to seek reimbursement from IDOT.

At the city council meeting, city officials will discuss what part of the projects will be fully reimbursed and which will be partially reimbursed. This includes construction and maintenance costs along the site.

IDOT has suggested that Yorkville should be responsible for maintenance of the culvert under the future Route 47 and Baseline Road intersection. The state also previously asked Yorkville to contribute to intersection improvements at Route 47 and Galena Road. City staff believe both should be IDOT’s responsibility.

City administrator Bart Olson said while the final agreements were bound to take some time, he hopes everything will be resolved for more project approvals from City Council at their meeting.

Olson said at a previous meeting that approving the engineering agreement before an official written contract with the state on reimbursement costs was necessary to get ahead on the plans and to make sure there would be minimal future conflicts with IDOT.

“This is just for design of the utility relocation to be done in advance of the Route 47 expansion,” Olson said during the meeting. “The expansion is at a time yet to be determined.”

Further south, another portion of Route 47 is being worked on. Thousands of feet of water mains and sewers need to be improved and relocated. The area for this construction is primarily in the section from Cannonball Trail to Wrigley Way, and near Waterpark Way.

City officials have also been working with IDOT along this southern part of the project, which will widen Route 47 from Carpenter Street to Waterpark Way.

IDOT has indicated they will reimburse the city for the project costs in this section. There is no current schedule for the beginning of construction, according to city documents.