Illinois DOT completing millions of dollars in construction projects throughout McHenry County

It may take drivers a little longer to get from point A to point B with ongoing construction projects through McHenry County.

Millions of dollars’ worth of construction is underway on some of the county’s major roadways. The Illinois Department of Transportation currently is executing months-long projects on Routes 31, 14 and 176, and local municipalities have ongoing road projects, as well.

Crystal Lake Police Department Deputy Chief Tom Kotlowski said he hadn’t noticed any major traffic problems in Crystal Lake because of the ongoing work.

“[The city] did a culvert replacement and worked with engineering to help people know about detours and neighborhoods that might get increased traffic,” he said. “But nothing was a problem that rose to the level of needing special attention.”

The city’s engineering department works with the police on its own projects, but IDOT is a separate entity, and the word might not get out as quickly on state projects, he said.

“If they tell us about a project, we put the information out,” he said. “But as far as the level of coordination we have with our engineering departments, it’s not at that level.”

The culverts are along Crystal Creek at Broadway Avenue, Country Club Road, Barlina Avenue, McHenry Avenue and Dartmoor Drive. McHenry Avenue will not be closed at the same time as Barlina Avenue and Dartmoor Drive, according to the city’s website. Installation began Oct. 9.

McHenry is completing improvements to Curran Road in conjunction with IDOT. The project covers Curran Road from Ojibwa Lane to about 400 feet south of Route 120. The improvements will include super-elevated pavement, paved shoulders with rumble strips, slope grading for recoverable slopes, pavement markings and additional signage.

Drivers should expect lane closures. The asphalt work is expected to conclude by the end of October.

The construction of a guardrail and pavement striping will take place through November, McHenry Public Works Director Troy Strange said.

“[The November work] won’t be nearly as disruptive,” Strange said.

Improvements to the intersection of Randall and Algonquin roads is ongoing, with a projected end date in 2021. The project also includes the widening of Randall Road, new signals and several pedestrian paths. The project is about 21% complete, according to the McHenry County Division of Transportation.

There will be intermittent northbound and southbound lane closures on Route 31 from Route 176 to Bull Valley Road as IDOT completes a road resurfacing project.

The project also affects northbound and southbound Route 31 from Route 120 to Johnsburg Road in McHenry, as well as eastbound and westbound lanes on Route 14 from Route 22 to Hart Road.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of November, according to IDOT’s website.

Northbound Route 31 from Ray Street to Drake Drive also is undergoing work. IDOT is completing improvements along the east shoulder, including embankment, drainage, waterline and paving to widen Route 31 at the Woodlore Estates subdivision.

IDOT also is removing and replacing a culvert in McHenry at Route 31 from Anne to Lillian streets. The $1 million project is expected to continue through the end of the year.

Washington Street/Route 120 is closed to traffic from Route 14 to Lamb Road in unincorporated Greenwood Township near Woodstock as IDOT completes a $243,992 culvert replacement. The road is expected to be closed through the end of the month.

In Harvard, IDOT is completing $1.2 million worth of bridge repairs on Route 14 from Brink to Front streets. Drivers should expect lane shifts, with work continuing through July.

On Route 176 from Smith Road in Crystal Lake to the Fox River in Prairie Grove, IDOT is putting down overlay on about 3 miles of road. Drivers should expect intermittent road closures on both eastbound and westbound lanes on a daily basis through the end of the month.

Another Route 176 project isn’t expected to wrap up until October 2020. IDOT is completing a $3.8 million project from Haligus to Mount Thabor roads in Crystal Lake. The project includes intersection improvements and the installation of a traffic signal.

“Progress on this contract will continue for as long as the weather allows, with traffic remaining in its present configuration throughout the winter,” IDOT communications director Guy Tridgell said.

In Hebron, work on Route 47 from Route 173 to State Line Road will continue through the end of the year. IDOT is completing a $1.4 million project that includes pavement overlay and pedestrian improvements. Drivers should expect daily lane closures.

A rainy spring leading into an early summer had a slight effect on some of the projects’ timelines, but it’s not unusual for work to continue late in the year, Tridgell said.

“Generally speaking, there is no hard date when construction season ends,” Tridgell said. “We’ll go as long as the weather permits. [It’s] not uncommon at all for construction to still take place in December.”