The Illinois Department of Transportation has begun work on the $22 million project to rebuild East State Street from Glengarry Drive to the Fox River in Geneva, starting with lane closures, officials announced in a news release.

The multi-year project encompasses roadway widening, streetscape enhancements, bike lanes, traffic signal upgrades, new street lighting and water main/storm drainage infrastructure improvements.

In recent days, several utility companies worked to relocate underground infrastructure so reconstruction can begin.

Crews from AT&T’s contractor Archon will wrap up work near Simpson Street and then do duct work between Route 25 and Crissey Avenue. The latter will require an overnight eastbound lane closure. This section of highway should reopen during daytime hours, according to the release.

Nicor Gas contractor NPL will continue trenching down East State Street east of Ridge and Briar lanes, approaching Glengarry Drive.

Eastbound motorists will be shifted to the north side of State Street, reducing Route 38 traffic to one lane in each direction. Westbound State Street will be reduced to one lane from Woodlawn Street to Route 25 as a second crew works on the other side of the roadway.

Ongoing utility work is weather-dependent and is subject to change, the release stated.

The city is awaiting future utility relocation schedules from Metronet and Comcast.

Geneva police encourage drivers to use the zipper merge system to alleviate backups along the state highway, according to the release.

A zipper merge occurs when motorists use both lanes of traffic until reaching the defined merge area, and then alternate in zipper fashion into the open lane.

Motorists should expect delays and may want to consider alternate routes. Drivers should use caution when driving through the work zone and allow extra time to reach their destination.

The full reconstruction project is now tentatively expected to start in Spring 2026 and finish in late 2027, with punch list items to be wrapped up the following year. The timeline depends on how quickly utility relocations are resolved.

The public can subscribe to road construction updates via Notify Me on the city’s website. The city will also provide updates from IDOT or the utility companies.

In 2023, state lawmakers granted the city an extension of its tax increment finance district on East State Street by 12 years to continue commercial redevelopment.

A tax increment financing district – known as a TIF – is a development tool local governments use to encourage redevelopment in blighted areas that would be too expensive to improve with private dollars alone. The extension required letters of support from taxing districts within the TIF.