Harlem Avenue Repaving Clogs Traffic, Causes Headaches

If you've been anywhere near Harlem Avenue lately, you know it's a headache waiting to happen. Traffic jams. Heat. Construction crews.

The Illinois Department of Transportation's $3.9 million, six-mile repaving project is well underway, with crews arriving in the heart of Oak Park and River Forest last week.

IDOT project engineer Orrin James told Oak Leaves crews are trying to avoid working during rush hour.

“We generally don’t want to do major work during rush hour periods, when traffic is heaviest” he said. “We have to get our trucks through traffic as well.”

The good news? Crews seem to be moving quickly through the area.

The bad news? They're working their way north, which virtually guarantees backups along the roadway for weeks to come.

A "construction update report" on the IDOT website estimates the entire project will be completed in Sept. 2012, but an IDOT official told Oak Leaves said it could be all be wrapped up before the deadline.