Drivers face one more lane closure on Western Avenue

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 23: Travelers sit in a massive traffic jam as people hit the road for the holiday weekend on November 23, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The American Automobile Association (AAA) says nearly 49 million Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving weekend, the busiest travel holiday of the year. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

It’s the final leg of the race, and there is only one more lane closure coming as the Western-Belmont overpass replacement project is moments away from being completed.

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Set for next week, the final pavement for the stretch of Western Avenue drawing between Waveland and the Chicago River bridge, including Belmont, will take place, according to DNAinfo. With this final step comes one more lane closure, reducing traffic to one lane in each direction and allowing the construction team to lay down the fresh asphalt.

Related: Drivers familiar with the congested lanes on the Tri-State Tollway will soon get relief

Weather permitting, the work is estimated to take four to five nights and will be done during the less populated hours of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in an effort to control the expected congestion. The Chicago Department of Transportation encourages drivers who frequent this route to consider an alternative one for the time being and to expect delays if they do continue to use this stretch of road. The construction is expected to take place June 27 through July 1.

Once the new asphalt is laid down, the lane closures are expected to continue through August to allow time for final pavement markings and other miscellaneous finishing details, according to DNAinfo. Once completed, however, three lanes of traffic will be open in either direction on Western Avenue during rush hour traffic.

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