Arlington Heights Road Construction to Cause Traffic Headaches

Buffalo Grove police are advising driver to avoid Arlington Heights Road, as the months-long construction project gets underway.

The project with the removal of the traffic signals at the controlled intersections and installation of temporary traffic signals, and more intense work, which is expected to cause major traffic delays and impact school-bound traffic, is just around the corner.

On April 4, construction will begin with the closure of the northbound lanes, medians, and turn lanes. All traffic will be shifted to the southbound lanes. Around July 11, traffic will shift to the northbound lanes and construction will move to the southbound lanes. The scheduled completion date for the project is Nov. 4, with landscaping restoration to be completed by Nov. 24, according to Buffalo Grove police.

Traffic in the construction zone will be limited to one lane in each direction. Left turns will be prohibited at various times, "right-in, right-out" turns are not expected to be affected.

The project is expected to have a significant impact for , and . From April to November, there will be no left turns allowed from Arlington Heights Road into any entrance drive to the schools or onto Plum Grove Circle. Additionally, there will be no left turns allowed exiting the schools or Plum Grove Circle to go south on Arlington Heights Road for the duration of the construction.

The sidewalks are expected to remain open and will be safe for students who walk to school, police said.

Drivers who typically access Buffalo Grove High School from Arlington Heights Road are advised to plan an alternate route to avoid delays. Police said they recommend that most traffic into or out of the Buffalo Grove High School parking lots should be via the Dundee Road entrance.

All motorists wishing to access Longfellow School will have to do so from the northbound lane of Arlington Heights Road. Those traveling to Cooper Middle School can onto Plum Grove Circle from northbound Arlington Heights Road or from the residential side streets.

The Cook County Highway Department began work on the road on March 7. The project will involve the complete removal of the entire roadway, curbs, gutters, medians, traffic signals, and replacement of water mains and sewers from just south of University Drive in Arlington Heights to Lake Cook Road. The roadway will be replaced with a new 10-inch thick concrete roadway, curbs, gutters, new landscaped medians, upgraded traffic signals, new signage, and improved turn lane access to businesses along the construction route.

For more information on this project or questions/complaints, contact the Cook County Highway Department at 312-603-1600, or visit www.cookcountygov.com. Click on "agencies" and then click on "highway department.”