More Utility Work Starts On Route 38 In Geneva

GENEVA, IL — More utility work has begun on East State Street ahead of a highway reconstruction project tentatively expected to start next spring.

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to rebuild State Street from Glengarry Drive to the Fox River, and utility relocations are required ahead of the multi-year project. The construction will involve roadway widening, bike lanes, streetscape enhancements, traffic signal upgrades, new street lighting, and water main and storm sewer infrastructure improvements.

Beginning Wednesday, State Street was limited to one lane in each direction from about Route 25 to East Side Drive while a contractor of Verizon closes the westbound curb lane to relocate underground utility infrastructure, Geneva officials said in a news release.

The westbound lane will be closed until early October, weather permitting.

In August, an AT&T contractor began a more extensive utility project on the eastbound curbside lane of Route 38. This closure is expected to continue into 2026.

Both center lanes of the state highway will remain open during construction. City officials said drivers should expect delays or consider alternate routes.

Nicor also has to relocate utilities soon and is coordinating with IDOT to develop a construction plan. Other companies might also need to perform similar work in the coming months, officials said.

Construction on the State Street rebuilding project can't start until relocations are complete, officials said. Utility work will require both intermittent short-term and possibly long-term lane closures along various stretches of the highway this year and next.

The full project will likely start in spring 2026 and be completed in late 2027, with punch list items being finished in 2028.