Union Pacific announced the Route 31 underpass is scheduled to reopen to traffic Friday, Aug. 16 after being shut down since March for the rail company’s Third Main Line project.
Once the underpass reopens, Union Pacific’s construction operations will shift west to Third Street starting Monday, Aug. 19. The railroad crossing is anticipated to be closed for six weeks. All schedules are subject to change due to weather or construction delays.
With the Third Street railroad crossing closed, the official detour will direct motorists to use Route 31 to head north to State Street (Route 38) and west to Third Street. The detour will be reversed for drivers needing to bypass the tracks heading southbound.
Third Street north of the train tracks will remain open to downtown patrons and local traffic during the entire six-week construction period. The Third Street Commuter Parking Deck will continue to be accessible for commuters and visitors. Only the railroad crossing will be shut down for vehicles.
Third Street pedestrian access across the tracks will be limited during the first four weeks of construction. Commuters only will be allowed to cross from north of the tracks to the south side to access the temporary train platform. No pedestrian access will be permitted from south to north from Aug. 19 until mid-September.
During the final two weeks of construction at Third Street, full pedestrian access on both sides of the tracks will be available on the west side of Third Street only. Union Pacific is asking commuters to safely cross the roadway at Third Street and Route 31 to reach the temporary train platform on the southeast side of the tracks.
Union Pacific began the Third Main Line project in 2022. The company is installing a third railroad line near the current UP-West railway tracks spanning from Peck Road in Geneva to West Chicago. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2025.
The project also will require a temporary shutdown of the Western Avenue railroad crossing, tentatively slated to begin in early October after work is finished at Third Street. The closures are being staggered so only one crossing will be impacted at a given time.
Outside of the grade crossings, the contractor will be working on Saturdays throughout the remainder of the Third Main Line project to make up for lost time. Union Pacific hopes to reopen the Third Street commuter parking lots south of the train tracks in December.
The public can visit Notify Me on the City’s website to subscribe to future construction updates on our Pardon The Progress blog. For more project information, visit the Third Main Line construction web page.
While the City of Geneva is providing information to the community, the City has no authority or control over the Union Pacific project. The details shared by the City are only as good as the information provided to us by Union Pacific.