Lockport residents get preview of IL Route 7 project to begin in May

Lockport — Work is about to begin in Lockport on the Illinois Route 7 channelization project, which will see a new turn lane created on the section of 9th Street between Madison Street and just past Summit Drive.

The project, which City Administrator Ben Benson notes has been in the works for nearly 10 years, is in the pre-construction phase and will officially begin work in May. Construction on the project is expected to last just more than a year and is slated to be finished by late July 2025, with a winter hiatus anticipated between December and March.

The main goal of the project is to widen the two-lane stretch of 9th Street to install a third lane, which will serve as a bi-directional left turn lane to provide safer access into side streets and shopping centers along the road.

Residents were given a preview of the project at an open house at Lockport City Hall on Monday.

There are no dedicated left-hand turn lanes in the stretch, and it can create safety hazards by slowing down traffic because of drivers are often going onto the shoulders of the road to get around cars waiting to make left-hand turns.

“This is going to give us a lot better throughput for traffic, and it will be safer,” Benson said. “It’s also a beautification opportunity filling in some culverts, installing some grass islands, and making repairs to curbs.”

While the road is being widened to three lanes instead of the current two, the end product will not result in a significant change to the size of the street, since the “soft shoulders” on either side of the road will be removed to accommodate the new traffic pattern.

During the course of the project, new traffic signals will also be installed at the intersection of 7th Street and 9th Street, new water mains will be installed, sewers will be repaired, and sidewalks will be brought into ADA compliance by altering the slopes and curbs. Additionally, pads will be installed at the Pace bus stops on both sides of the street which could be used for modernized, ADA-compliant bus shelters.

“We’ve been working on a water main replacement plan for years and we are taking advantage of the work being done now to replace the mains on this road so we don’t have to tear it up again later,” Benson said. “We’ve been doing it whenever we have the chance, though the city is responsible for the cost of that project.”

The entire project is expected to $10.5 million, although the City of Lockport is only paying about half of that cost.

Because of a 80-20 split grant with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the State of Illinois is contributing $1.2 million to the project, and the federal government is providing $3.7 million. The city will pay the remaining $5.6 million, which includes the road work and the water and sewer costs that were not part of the grant.

While the construction, which is being completed by Austin Tyler Construction, will reconfigure traffic on 9th Street multiple times throughout its four phases, there is no plan for any long-term lane closures or permanent detours.

“All the work and staging are being set so traffic can be maintained throughout the corridor through the project,” said Dan Schroeder, resident engineer at Christopher Burke Engineering, who was speaking with members of the public at an open house Monday.

Benson noted that there will be some sporadic lane closures throughout the course of the work and detours will be provided, although at no time will traffic be completely stopped on the road.

The construction will impact some driveways along the route for short periods of time. Schroeder said that those residents will be dealt with personally on a case-by-case basis by the engineering and construction teams to provide plans for accessing their homes and storing their vehicles so they can get in and out during the work.