After a yearlong delay, motorists traveling along Route 47 in the heart of Woodstock should expect construction work to start soon and run for the next three years.

Illinois Department of Transportation spokesperson Maria Castaneda said construction is anticipated to begin this spring and be finished in late 2028.

Utility relocation for the project, which runs from Route 14 to Route 120, began in early 2025 and is ongoing, Castaneda said.

Work on the project includes two through lanes in each direction, separated by an 18-foot raised median, Castaneda said. A sidewalk five feet wide will be installed on the west side of the road, and a 10-feet-wide shared-use path will go on the east side, Castaneda said.

Roundabouts will be installed at Route 47’s intersections with Lake Avenue, McConnell Road and Judd Street/Irving Avenue, Castaneda said.

New lighting, traffic signal modernization, retaining walls and a closed drainage system are other improvements for the project, Castaneda said.

Castaneda said the project will cost $78 million. Construction was delayed for a year last year after bids for the project came in millions of dollars above estimates.

Woodstock committed last year to paying its share of the project costs, around $16 million. The city had long asked the state for $10 million to help cover its costs for the project – and the city was awarded the grant money last fall.

“This is a very, very big deal,” Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner said at his State of the City address of the grant. “We felt going into this we had maybe a 20%, 25% chance of getting it. We were asking them to provide money for the city portion of the expenses of Route 47.”

Woodstock has launched a website, woodstockroute47project.org, for updates on the project.

The city plans a community meeting early this year, before construction begins, to discuss the project. A date for the meeting was not posted on the website as of Tuesday.