As we head into road travel season, construction work is planned that could cause backups along Illinois Route 71 and Illinois Route 47.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has projects focusing on the two highly-trafficked roadways in Yorkville and across Kendall County.

As the population in the region continues to grow, the projects are designed to enable the roadways to accommodate larger traffic volumes and to improve current traffic backups that are especially troublesome around rush hour periods.

IDOT is widening Route 71 through Kendall County from a two to a four-lane highway with a raised median from Illinois Route 126 to Orchard Road in Oswego.

The project is projected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Drivers currently passing through Route 71 must navigate through a large construction zone.

Workers are paving the new westbound lanes, with two-way traffic confined to the eastbound lanes.

By August, the construction crew should be finishing the westbound lanes and switching to work on the eastbound lanes. Two-way traffic will then be directed to the westbound lanes.

The eastbound lanes of Route 71 are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Traffic will remain confined to the westbound lanes as workers continue roadway improvements in the eastbound lanes, including on the median, curb and gutter, guardrails, and electrical infrastructure.

The eastbound lanes’ construction is expected to be completed by the summer 2027.

The city of Yorkville has been preparing to relocate underground utilities, like water mains and sewers, along Route 47 in preparation for IDOT’s massive expansion of the Route 47 corridor from Kennedy Road in Yorkville out to Sugar Grove’s Cross Street.

The project will stretch from Kendall County to unincorporated Kane County.

IDOT is involved in all parts of the project, including widening the intersections at Route 47 and Galena Road. Once completed, Route 47 will be widened and expanded, and will feature pathways and bridges more accessible to pedestrians.

The work on Route 47 from Jericho Way to Waterpark Way is expected to begin in 2027. Construction crews will also be on Route 47 from Waterpark Way to Kennedy Drive.

Once construction begins, the total project is expected to take at least two years to complete.

Yorkville Public Works Director Eric Dhuse previously said the project will cause temporary traffic congestion, but will be well worth it in the long-run. He said drivers will see a huge improvement on traffic flows, hopefully alleviating the half-mile backups during rush hour.

IDOT will provide further updates when workers are in the construction area so drivers can proceed through the work zones safely.