A span of Annie Glidden Road has been the site of heavy road construction for the past year.

The construction spans roughly from Taylor Street to the railroad underpass south of Lincoln Highway.

The construction started in mid-October 2006 and was slated to be finished about a year later. However, the work is still in its final stages.

“The work should be done by roughly Thanksgiving,” said Joel Maurer, director of engineering for DeKalb. “We should have four lanes open by the 15th of November.”

The construction included the creation of two additional lanes, doubling the traffic capacity and raising the road two feet, which puts it above the flood plain in hopes of preventing future problems along the stretch.

This section of Annie Glidden was shut down between Taylor Street and Lincoln Highway during the August floods due to the still-dangerous conditions created by the construction.

There also has been streetscape improvement work, which includes the installation of improved lighting and greenery along the road.

The construction plan has been in development for the past eight to 10 years and cost about $6 million, much of which was funded by local motor fuel tax as well as funds earmarked for these improvements.

Motor fuel tax is imposed on drivers for the privilege of operating motor vehicles on public highways. This tax can be used to fund the building and maintenance of roads and highways.

The tax is collected through the distributors and suppliers of fuel and paid to the state, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue Web site.

The road should offer improved ability to handle the heavy volume of traffic while providing a fresh look for drivers in DeKalb, Maurer said.

“We’re slightly over [the proposed deadline] by a few weeks,” Maurer said. “But we wanted to at least get it done in 2007, which we will do.”

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