Heads-up: Ongoing Water Line Project Means Traffic Shifts, Delays In Oak Forest

OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest drivers can expect road closures and traffic shifts through the summer and into fall, as work continues on a water transmission line, the City said Monday. The work will inevitably mean travel delays in the area, officials warn.

Construction of the Village of Oak Lawn Regional Water System's new 36-inch water transmission line will move from Oak Park Avenue onto 159th Street this week, officials said. Construction of the new transmission line will take place on the north side of 159th Street in the westbound lanes until late-May; it will then cross to the eastbound lanes on the south side of 159th Street.

The contractor anticipates reaching Central Avenue by late-August or early-September. Construction will then continue south on Central Avenue, where it will connect to an existing 60-inch transmission line near Ellen Court.

The overall project is anticipated to be completed by the end of this year, the City said.

Temporary traffic signals have been installed along 159th Street at Oak Park Avenue, Ridgeland Avenue, Arroyo Drive, and Central Avenue. Drivers are urged to be alert, as traffic patterns will change throughout the project. One lane will be kept open in each direction on 159th Street from late-April through September.

Drivers are encouraged to find other routes.