2 Downtown Projects Aimed At Improving Pedestrian Access Begin Soon

ST. CHARLES, IL — Two projects aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle access in downtown St. Charles will get underway the first week of June.

Work will require lane closures and changing traffic patterns on both Main Street/Route 64 at the 1st Street Plaza north entrance, and on Illinois Street, just west of the Fox River. Work on these projects will be coordinated to help minimize the traffic disruption through the downtown area, according to a news release.

The final phase of the 1st Street Plaza project is expected to begin the first week of June 2025 and be completed in September 2025. Work includes improving pedestrian access to the plaza, which will entail:

• A new crosswalk will be installed across Main Street to the plaza’s north entrance 
• The existing traffic signal will be adjusted to shorten the wait time when a pedestrian presses the button to cross 
• The sidewalk at the north entrance of the plaza will be modified and new traffic signal heads will align with the new pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalks 
• Signal poles will be relocated to align with the new Main Street crosswalk 

During the improvements, Main Street traffic will be impacted in both directions through the project area between 2nd Street/Route 31 and Riverside Avenue. Drivers should expect delays and changing traffic patterns, including shifting lanes, lane closures and possibly brief road closures.

Signs will be posted alerting drivers to the changing traffic patterns, according to a news release from the city of St. Charles.

You can visit the Main Street pedestrian improvements project page on the city website for more details and project updates.

Illinois Street Crossing at the Fox River Trail

The 2023 St. Charles Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan identified improving the crossing on Illinois Street to the Fox River Trail as a high-priority. This crossing is in a key location for people walking along the river to downtown businesses and to the 1st Street Plaza, according to a news release.

Work is expected to begin June 2 and last around three months. Updates will include:

• Creating a new pedestrian refuge island across Illinois Street
• Lanes on Illinois Street will be reduced to include new dedicated bike lanes between Riverside Avenue and 1st Street

During the project you can expect traffic delays on the Illinois Street Bridge and on Illinois Street from South 1st Street to Riverside Avenue. You can visit the Illinois mid-block pedestrian crossing project page on the city website for more details and project updates.