159th And Cicero Construction Could Last Through End Of Year

OAK FOREST, IL — Traffic congestion at 159th and Cicero in Oak Forest could last through the end of the year, although the contractor working on the project says the road could be back open to four lanes by the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is working hard to complete the project before the start of 2020, the city of Oak Forest wrote in its most recent update on the project.

The last part of the culvert floor was poured on Oct. 19 and the walls of the culvert was expected to have been completed by the end of last week.

Crews have been out at the busy intersection daily, with Cicero Avenue traffic backed up 1-2 blocks each way since the project started. Currently, only one lane of traffic is open for both northbound and southbound commuters.

The goal is to have all four lanes open by Thanksgiving, but daytime lane closures could be needed even after that as finishing details are completed.