Beginning Monday, July 8, lane closures will be in place for the start of the advance work being done for reconstruction of I-290 / IL 53 in northwest suburban Chicago.

During 2003, a four-mile section of I-290 / IL 53 from Higgins Road (IL 72) to Thorndale Avenue will be completely reconstructed in the communities of Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca. And, to improve the flow of traffic through this area, auxiliary lanes will be built in both directions between the entrance / exit ramps from Higgins to Biesterfield Road and from Biesterfield to Thorndale Avenue.
However, it is necessary to perform some advance work during the summer of 2002 to prepare the roadway for next year's major construction activities. The advance work involves the removal of the median, the placement of temporary pavement for vehicle crossovers, drainage adjustments, and taking down many of the old highway lighting fixtures. In addition, pavement patching may occur as needed to keep the roadway passable until next spring.
To perform this work, traffic will be reduced from four to three lanes in each direction. By 5 a.m. on July 8, the far-left lane of northbound I-290 / IL 53 will be closed. On the morning of July 9, the far-left southbound lane will also be shut down. This configuration is expected to remain in place until Oct. 31.