South Oak Street – Road Reconfiguration

Starting Monday, April 13, South Oak Street between St. Mary’s Road and Kirby Avenue will undergo a comprehensive reconfiguration to support the addition of north- and southbound bicycle lanes. To facilitate intermittent striping activities, temporary lane shifts may occur and will be indicated by road signage and flaggers, as necessary. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Road Diet Concept

A “road diet” will be applied in this street section, transitioning four existing lanes to three, one lane each direction, with a fully extended center left-turn lane to support vehicle entrances to Lot E14, Garage and Car Pool, the Central Receiving Building, and the National Petascale Computing Facility. This transition will help strengthen future bicycle network connectivity and support additional traffic calming in a location that sees significant pedestrian traffic from regular permit parkers, MTD shuttle service stops, and events at the State Farm Center and Illinois Conference Center.

Earlier this spring, a new crosswalk and rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) were installed on South Oak Street, directly across from the Garage and Car Pool, to improve mobility options and further enhance pedestrian safety. This project will also finalize the street markings for that installation. 

For questions, contact the Transportation Systems Manager, Stacey DeLorenzo, 217-300-1750. Additional campus-approved closure information is available on the F&S website.