April 24, 2025
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DeKalb Normal Road work, bus detour starts Monday

Roadwork meant to improve pedestrian safety near new elementary school

By Kelsey Rettke
A street sign is seen Tuesday, March 25, 2025, along Normal Road at the intersection where the crosswalk meets Lucinda Avenue in DeKalb.

A street sign is seen Tuesday, March 25, 2025, along Normal Road at the intersection where the crosswalk meets Lucinda Avenue in DeKalb. (Megann Horstead)

DeKALB – A portion of Normal Road will be closed starting Monday for roadwork that DeKalb city officials have said is meant to improve pedestrian safety.

As a result, a temporary bus detour also is planned for the city’s transit riders.

The work will target pedestrian areas surrounding the new Dr. Leroy A. Mitchell Elementary School, 1240 Normal Road. The newest DeKalb School District 428 school is expected to open to students this fall.

Beginning Monday, Normal Road will be closed to traffic between Edgebrook and Ridge drives as crews work to construct a median in the block. The median, along with the creation of crosswalks, will make it safer for students walking to and from the school, city officials said.

Normal Road between West Hillcrest Drive and Ridge Drive will be open to local traffic only. This will reduce traffic in the construction area while maintaining access for residents. Traffic will be detoured at Ridge Drive and West Hillcrest Drive and directed to Blackhawk Road.

The project is expected to be completed in two to three weeks, according to the city. The schedule will allow this portion of Normal Road to reopen to traffic ahead of the start of the roundabout project at Normal Road and Lucinda Avenue.

An NIU Huskie bus, part of the city of DeKalb's public transit system, heads east on Lincoln Highway in downtown DeKalb Monday, April 15, 2024.

An NIU Huskie bus, part of the city of DeKalb's public transit system, heads east on Lincoln Highway in downtown DeKalb on Tuesday, April 15, 2024. (Shaw Local News Network)

Bus detour details

DeKalb city transit buses operating around Normal Road between Ridge and Hillcrest drives will have detours in effect starting Monday for about three weeks.

The detours will affect riders who use Route 3, Route 10, the overnight Route 11, Route 18 and Route 19, according to the city.

Detailed maps for each of the changes are available on the city of DeKalb Transit website, the DeKalb Transit Facebook page, the ETA Bus Tracker in messages, and inside the Transit buses.

  • Route 3 will head north on Normal Road, make a left onto Hillcrest Drive, right onto Blackhawk Road, right onto Ridge Drive, cross over Normal and make a left onto Sunflower Drive, left onto Misty Lane, left onto Normal, right onto Ridge, left onto Blackhawk, right onto Hillcrest and left onto Greenbrier Road before continuing normal service.
  • Route 10 and Route 11, once on Ridge Drive, will cross over Normal Road and make a left onto Sunflower Drive, left onto Misty Lane, left onto Normal, right onto Ridge, left onto Blackhawk Road, right onto Hillcrest Drive and right onto Normal before continuing normal service.
  • Route 18 coming from Walmart will make a right onto Ridge Drive, left onto Blackhawk Road, left onto Hillcrest Drive, right onto Normal, right onto Greenbrier Road and left onto Russell Road before continuing normal service. Route 18 leaving DuSable Hall at Northern Illinois University will run normal routing.
  • Route 19 once on Ridge Drive will cross over Normal Road and make a left onto Sunflower Drive, left onto Misty Lane, left onto Normal, right onto Ridge Drive, left onto Blackhawk Road, right onto Hillcrest Drive and right onto Normal before continuing normal service.
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