ROSCOE VILLAGE — Good news for motorists: A second lane of traffic is opening on Western Avenue in the Western-Belmont overpass construction zone.
The Chicago Department of Transportation announced Thursday that the additional lane would reopen in both directions during rush hours from the Chicago River bridge to Belmont Avenue.
The intersection at Western/Belmont/Clybourn will still be restricted to a single lane on Belmont and Clybourn.
Restoring the second lane of traffic "will allow motorists to travel more easily, improve auto and bus traffic patterns and allow the businesses on Western to benefit from the elimination of traffic barriers," Rebekah Scheinfeld, CDOT commissioner, said in a statement.
The Western-Belmont viaduct was originally built to ease congestion around the Riverview Amusement Park, which closed in 1967.
The overpass was demolished in March, the first step in an 18- to 24-month project that will culminate in a grade-level five-leg intersection at the Western-Belmont-Clybourn junction.
The project's scope also encompasses reconstruction of the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago River, as well as reconstruction/resurfacing of Western Avenue between Waveland Avenue to the north and Jones Street to the south (Jones is south of Diversey).
For drivers: A third lane of travel will be added during peak hours and the plan provides for 80 new on-street parking spaces.
For pedestrians: Sidewalks will be widened to 13 feet, countdown signals will be installed at intersections and pedestrian refuge islands will be built at non-signaled crossings.
The cost of construction is estimated at $25.7 million.
The project is expected to be "substantially" completed by summer 2017, according to CDOT.
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