A road by Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Lake will be closed for the summer starting Monday because of restoration efforts of Crystal Creek.

Beginning Monday through Aug. 1, St. Andrews Lane will be closed at Nash Road, the city announced. Drivers will be directed to use a detour along McHenry Avenue and Barlina Road. Local access to the neighborhood will be available from Barlina Road.

Crews will be replacing a culvert at Crystal Creek as part of the Crystal Creek Daylighting Project. The project aims to bring the creek back to its natural state after it was routed underground to flow through stormwater sewer pipes about 60 years ago.

After years of planning, the city will bring the creek back to its natural state, similar to what currently exists north and south of the project. Restoration efforts were first announced two years ago, but grant funding reviews and approval delayed bidding for the project, Public Works and Engineering Director Michael Magnuson said.

The city secured more than $2 million through “several grants,” making up approximately 35% of the construction costs, Magnuson said. Bidding for the project went out in December and was awarded to Berger Contractors for $5.8 million.

The public works department started on the Crystal Creek project in 2019 by upsizing culverts under Broadway Avenue, Country Club Road, McHenry Avenue and Dartmoor Drive to handle 100-year flooding events.

City officials say the project will improve water quality, the ecology, decrease area flooding and reduce the extent and depth of the city’s floodplain. Once construction is complete, officials plan to “re-map” the floodplain, according to the city’s website.

In order to minimize the impact on nearby schools, construction will happen during the summer breaks and is expected to continue into next summer.