143rd Street Reopened After One Week, Orland Park Asks State Why

ORLAND PARK, IL — A portion of 143rd Street that was closed due to flooding over the weekend has been reopened, according to Orland Park officials. Part of Southwest Highway which was closed due to icy conditions last week was reopened on Tuesday.

Both roadways were closed Friday afternoon by the Illinois Department of Transportation, who has jurisdiction over three of the village's busiest roads — 143rd Street, Southwest Highway and Wolf Road.

As of Friday morning, work was complete on 143rd Street between Wolf Road and Will Cook Road.

According to village officials, Orland Park is in the midst of a multi-phase project to redesign 143rd Street with wider lanes and updated drainage. Currently, a spokeswoman for the village said the project is in its first stage which includes engineering studies. The next step in the project is expected to begin in 2022.

However, the work completed Friday on 143rd Street is only a temporary solution, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said. Pekau said funding for the next phase in the project is not guaranteed and currently awaits state approval.

"We all know that when we get inclement weather, we can almost always expect this section of 143rd St. to become dangerously iced over or flooded," Pekau said in a social media statement. "While we appreciate the State taking the time to make sure to close the road to avoid accidents and injuries, we would much rather see the problem resolved permanently than experience the repeated barrier closures year after year."

State officials did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment on when funding could be expected to move towards the next phase.