EDGEWATER — After a slight delay, construction along Ridge Avenue in Edgewater is set to begin Monday, July 11, according to Ald. Harry Osterman's (48th) office.
Signs for the construction will start going up over the next few days.
"We understand the traffic burden a project of this size will have on our community and we will do our best to minimize the impact throughout the project," his office said in an email update to residents.
Earlier this month, Osterman said the project — which closes Ridge from Bryn Mawr to Thorndale Avenues between Broadway and Clark Street — would be a "difficult undertaking" that would last about six weeks.
A start date had earlier been scheduled for June 22 but was delayed while the Illinois Department of Transportation waited to sign off on permits.
When it begins Monday, construction will occur between 8 a.m.-8 p.m., with some work on weekends, Osterman said. When construction isn't active, a travel lane will be left open for local traffic, the Department of Water Management said.
The route helps connect suburban and Downtown commuters to both Lake Shore Drive as well as Peterson Avenue, and is a heavily-trafficked route by local drivers and cyclists.
Northwest-bound lanes will be completely closed, while one southeast-bound lane will remain open and dedicated to buses and emergency vehicles.
"This is going to be a very difficult undertaking for our community, but we will work through the challenges together," Osterman said in an email to residents earlier this month.
To help navigate drivers, signs will be posted throughout Edgewater and Andersonville that point to alternative routes, Osterman said. The routes will use detours that minimize the amount of commuters using residential streets as workarounds.
Commuters using westbound busses, like the CTA #84 Peterson bus, will be detoured from the Bryn Mawr Red Line station to Broadway; south on Broadway to Foster Avenue; west on Foster Avenue to Ashland Avenue; north on Ashland Avenue to Peterson Avenue, then will continue west on their usual routes.
Parking will also be restricted near Ridge Avenue, the water department said, generally between 7 a.m.-4 p.m.. Outside of those hours, parking will be allowed again, though cars will have to clear the area again by the next morning.
After a new 5,238-foot watermain is installed, North Broadway will be resurfaced from Devon to Foster Avenue, as well as Ridge from Clark to Broadway. The current pipe dates back to 1894, officials said.
The alternative westbound bus route for the duration of construction.
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