District/Line:
BNSF - Belmont Road Station
Location(s):
Belmont Road, located between Prairie Avenue and Hitchcock Avenue, in Downers Grove, Illinois.
Type:
Grade Separation
Belmont Road Project Update
Project Description:
Metra is in the middle of a multi-year project to replace the grade crossing near the Belmont Station with an underpass that will route Belmont Road under the train tracks. The $59 million project will increase safety, eliminating the risk of motorists being stuck on the tracks after the gates come down and reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents. More than 150 trains pass through the grade crossing every day, resulting in heavy congestion and lengthy delays on a major north-south road. The new underpass will reduce congestion and vehicular emissions, improving the quality of life for area residents. When the project is completed, Belmont Road will consist of two lanes of traffic in either direction, with a tunnel for pedestrians on the west side of Belmont Road.
During construction, there will be some temporary disruptions to the traffic flow, and some construction noise. Safety will be paramount during construction, and therefore residents may hear more train horns to warn workers of oncoming trains.
Starting in May 2011, there will be a temporary loss of 75 commuter spaces due to construction activities, along with a permanent loss of 28 commuter spaces due to the footprint of the retaining wall along Belmont Road and the reconfiguration of the entrance to the parking lot from Belmont Road. The majority of the 103 spaces taken out of service are permit, while approximately 14 spaces are daily fee.
On May 2, a new temporary parking lot with 75 permit spaces will open at 2324 Curtiss St., just southwest of the station, to offset the loss of parking due to construction activities. In addition, there are typically about 30 unused permit spaces in Lot No. 4, the one closest to the station building.
Permit holders unable to locate a space in lot #4 will be able to park in the temporary lot. Commuters displaced by the closure of the daily fee parking spaces will be able to park in daily fee commuter lot #14 and #16, in addition to the metered commuter parking spaces along Burlington Avenue, identified as lot #1. As a reminder, lots 14 and 16 were constructed prior to the main bridge project in anticipation of the loss of commuter parking due to construction.
