Work Starts on Orchard Road, Open House Scheduled to Help Drivers

It’s really happening.

Work officially began this week on the long-awaited widening of Orchard Road through Montgomery. When it’s finished, the bottleneck between Jericho Road and Route 30 will be gone, replaced with brand-new four-lane road.

The Kane County Division of Transportation is heading up the project, using federal and state funds. The project was initially expected to cost north of $18 million, but the still-faltering economy led to 12 hungry contractors bidding for the job.

The contract, which the Illinois Department of Transportation awarded last month, went to Plote Construction Inc. of Hoffman Estates, who will do the work for $9.2 million.

The widening is expected to be completed by summer of next year. Once it’s done, traffic congestion is expected to ease along that stretch of road, which will be a relief for drivers as well as businesses along Orchard.

Of course, a project of this scope is going to cause some traffic problems. If you’re concerned about how the Orchard Road construction may affect your daily commute, you can find out more at an open house scheduled for July 28.

Co-sponsored by the , the , and KDOT, the open house will provide maps and alternate routes to take during construction. The event runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the , 10 Civic Center Avenue.

And don’t forget – speeds have been reduced in the work zone, to 35 miles per hour. The minimum fine for speeding in a work zone is $375, and signs to that effect have been placed along Orchard Road.