Geneva Road And Rail Work: Third Street, Route 31, Metra Station Traffic Impacted
Third Street near the Union Pacific Railway tracks in downtown Geneva will be down to one lane from 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, as underground utilities are relocated.
Western Utility crews will be moving Sprint’s underground lines in preparation for the future Union Pacific Third Main Line project. Third Street will be reduced to one lane from Crescent Place to Cheever Avenue.
Flaggers will be directing traffic, and drivers should use extra caution if they must travel through the work zone.
Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and can use the Route 31 underpass as an alternate route.
Downtown patrons still will be able to access the Third Street Commuter Parking Deck, but the outside parking spaces located on the south side of the structure will be closed during construction hours.
Metra trains will continue to operate as normal, and pedestrians will be able to cross the tracks throughout the project.
Third Street Sidewalks Close For Utility Work
Utility Dynamics will be starting an underground electric feeder relocation project for Union Pacific on Wednesday, Sept. 18, near Route 31 and Third Street.
The project will be closing the sidewalk on the east side of Third Street. Pedestrians are strongly encouraged to use the open sidewalks and crosswalks near the work zone.
Cutting through Duke & Lee’s Service, 609 S. Third St., is not advisable due to ongoing construction operations.
Construction is expected to take three weeks.
Union Pacific Rail Work Starts in 2020
Starting in summer 2020, Union Pacific is planning to build a third railroad line from Kress Road in West Chicago to Peck Road in Geneva.
The 6-mile stretch of new rail is proposed to be set 20 feet south of the current tracks.
The improvements are designed to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce conflicts between commuter and freight trains that share the line.
Earlier projects completed by Metra and Union Pacific modernized the signal system and added crossovers to make freight movement more efficient.
he West Line third rail expansion will allow 59 Metra trains and 70 freight trains that use the line each day to operate at the same time, which the railroad agencies believe is a critical step to improving the line’s reliability and efficiency.
For more information, visit the “Union Pacific Third Main Line Project” construction page on the city’s website.
