Geneva’s overflow commuter parking lot to close indefinitely starting Friday

Geneva’s Route 31 overflow commuter parking lot will be closed indefinitely starting Friday, July 1 as part of the upcoming Union Pacific Third Main Line project.

According to a news release from the city, the daily fee commuter lot, located off the state highway just south of the UP-West railroad line bridge, will be used as a construction staging area by Union Pacific.

The city will be posting signage in and around the lot to notify commuters of the pending closure. The parking lot will remain unavailable throughout construction.

Union Pacific is planning to build a third railroad line south of the current tracks spanning from Peck Road in Geneva to West Chicago. The project is anticipated to begin in 2023, but the city is awaiting an official construction start date from the rail agency. Work is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete. Representatives from the UP are scheduled to provide a project update at the July 18 City Council meeting.

The project will require the temporary closure of the Western Avenue and the Third Street grade crossings as well as the Route 31 underpass to traffic. The closures will be staggered so only one crossing will be impacted at a given time.

The city will be updating the Third Main Line construction web page as more information is made available by Union Pacific.