Traffic Jams In Western Springs Expected This Summer

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs officials are expecting traffic back-ups this summer because of Cook County's Wolf Road project.

So they said they want to take steps to lessen the congestion.

At this week's Village Board meeting, trustees were told that they would soon be asked to approve a waiver from village regulations for the Wolf project's hours.

On Sundays, for instance, construction is only allowed from noon to 4 p.m. Officials said they wanted to expand that window.

Starting this month, the county plans to begin improvements on Wolf between Plainfield Road and 31st Street. The work is considered challenging because much of the road is just two lanes.

The county plans to close Wolf Road block by block, directing traffic to local detours.

At the meeting, the board was told that the block-by-block closures would last through late August or early September.

With waivers, though, such work could end in July, officials said.

The project will be especially difficult during rush hours, Village Manager Ellen Baer said. So drivers will likely see a couple of hours when the road will get "really backed up," she said.

"Our hope is by extending some of these hours, we'll reduce the months that it's going to take to get this done," Baer said. "It's not cutting it in half, but it's a significant reduction."

The county hopes to complete the entire project in late October.

At the Village Board's next meeting, trustees are expected to vote on a measure to give the village manager the power to waive the requirements for hours.