What motorists should expect in DeKalb during Memorial Day weekend

DeKALB – Traffic on Interstate-88 in DeKalb County could face reduced lanes while traveling over Memorial Day weekend, Illinois Tollway officials have confirmed.

The east flowing lanes of I-88 between Illinois Route 23 and the DeKalb Oasis will be reduced to a single lane, according to a new release from the Illinois tollway.

On Tuesday, Illinois Tollway official Joelle McGinnis told Shaw Local News Network the new eastbound traffic pattern will continue through Memorial Day weekend.

The lane closure stems from repairs the Illinois Tollway is making to the interstate bridge that spans the Union Pacific Railroad east of Route 23 in DeKalb, according to a project overview.

A construction update on May 13 indicates that the westbound lanes will also be impacted later in the month. Those lanes will be shifted to the normally east flowing side of the interstate, temporarily reducing the interstate to one lane of traffic in both directions.

McGinnis said in an email that the new traffic pattern won’t change until after the holiday weekend.

“There is still some additional prep work to be completed in order for the first stage of the traffic shift to be put in place,” McGinnis said. “This will not take place until after the Memorial Day weekend.”

The construction along a short section of interstate in DeKalb will grow heavier after Memorial Day weekend, according to Tollway documents.

McGinnis said the shifting of the eastbound traffic on I-88 in DeKalb over Memorial Day weekend is the precursor to the first phase of construction.

When that’s put in place, all traffic on I-88 between Illinois Route 23 and the DeKalb Oasis will be shifted onto the eastbound side of the road and reduced to a single lane in each direction.

“Traffic on I-88 is scheduled to remain in this configuration into the summer as repair work is underway in a work zone on the westbound side of I-88,” McGinnis said.

That won’t be the end of it, however. McGinnis said once construction is completed on the westbound side of the interstate, the single lanes of traffic will be flipped to that side of the interstate bridge that spanning the Union Pacific Railroad, so that repair work on the eastbound lanes can be completed.

That’s expected to last until the end of construction season.

“Traffic on I-88 is scheduled to remain in this configuration through late fall as repair work is underway in a work zone on the eastbound side of I-88,” McGinnis said.