July 11, 2025
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What you need to know about construction along Route 47 and Route 71 in Yorkville

Fox River bridge on Route 47 down to one lane in each direction

By Joey Weslo

(file photo) The Illinois Dep. of Transportation is working on Illinois Route 47 and Illinois Route 71 in the Yorkville area. In downtown Yorkville, the Fox River bridge has traffic down to one way in each direction. IDOT is preparing for its larger Route 47 expansion project that will take two years to complete. Pictured, IDOT workers previously widening a section of Route 47 in Yorkville. (Eric Miller)

Construction is slowing down traffic on two of the main roadways in Yorkville.

On the Fox River bridge in downtown Yorkville, the Illinois Department of Transportation is patching the bridge deck in the area along Route 47.

For the duration of the construction, traffic is limited to one lane in each direction. Workers are starting with the outside lanes before shifting to the inside lanes. IDOT said the project should be done in less than two weeks.

Later this month, IDOT crews will be resurfacing Route 47 from Fairfax Way to Saravanos Drive.

After completion of that segment, crews will be patching pavement along Route 47 from Route 71 to U.S. Route 34. Work on this segment is expected to begin in the second-half of August.

While Route 47 is the main artery guiding vehicles through Yorkville, the busy Route 71 on the south side of town is also undergoing a large overhaul.

IDOT is widening Route 71 through Kendall County from a two to a four-lane highway with a raised median from Illinois Route 126 to Orchard Road in Oswego.

The project is projected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Traffic along Route 71 is currently down to one lane in each direction. The traffic is being directed onto parts of the permanent and temporary pavement. This allows workers to install box culverts and storm sewers along the roadway.

Both projects are part of a larger design plan to improve traffic congestion in the region which has seen population growth far outpace the roadway infrastructure, causing traffic headaches for travelers.

The city of Yorkville has been preparing to relocate underground utilities, like water mains and sewers, along Route 47 in preparation from IDOT’s massive expansion of the Route 47 corridor from Kennedy Road in Yorkville out to Sugar Grove’s Cross Street.

IDOT 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.

The construction is expected to take at least two years to complete.

Yorkville Public Works Director Eric Dhuse previously said that the project will cause temporary traffic congestion, but will be well worth it in the long-run. He said community members will see a huge improvement on traffic flows, hopefully alleviating the half-mile backups during rush hour.