On Tuesday morning, Oct. 7, it rained in Homewood. As is often the case, the Dixie Highway viaduct quickly became the Dixie Highway lake and was closed to traffic.

The viaduct floods so easily because a portion of the drainage pipe north of the structure collapsed long ago, a problem that was identified in a 2004 report commissioned by the Illinois Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the roadway.

After years languishing on the planning list, the project started moving forward a few years ago. Preliminary engineering and environmental studies were completed in April 2023.  

The project is currently in Phase ll, which involves contract plan preparation and land acquisition, according to IDOT spokeswoman Maria Castenada. She said the contract letting could happen in spring 2026, “contingent upon plan readiness, land acquisition and funding availability through future annual legislative appropriations.”

“The existing drainage system will be replaced, and new storm sewers will be installed starting from the intersection of Dixie Highway and Harwood Avenue, west through the underpass to Dixie Highway and Park Avenue and continuing north along Dixie Highway,” she said. “The proposed sewers will connect to the existing storm sewer trunk line near Sycamore Drive.”

The project also includes resurfacing, new shoulders and ADA improvements, along with a new bike lane on Dixie Highway from Cedar Road to Sycamore Drive.

In March 2024, IDOT asked for and received the Homewood board’s blessing for changing Dixie Highway to two traffic lanes, two bike lanes and a center turn lane from the viaduct north to Sycamore Drive.

183rd Street speed beacons

Homewood Police Department received a grant to install four new speed display beacons similar to beacons currently on 183rd Street near James Hart, Willow and Churchill schools.

According to Public Works Director Josh Burman, two beacons will be installed in coming weeks on each side of 183rd Street between Highland and Gladville avenues and two more will be installed on 187th Street near Ashland and Gladville avenues.

The purpose of the beacons is to notify drivers how fast they are traveling in the hope that they will adjust their speed if they are exceeding the speed limit. 

Leavitt Park path

H-F Park District crews extended the paved path at the south end of Leavitt Park in Flossmoor in September so it meets up with the sidewalk at the southwest corner of the park. Now it’s possible to stroll all the way around the sculpture garden and playground on the path and sidewalk.

County still accepting feedback on Kedzie Corridor plan

Cook County hosted an open house at Irwin Center in Homewood on Jan. 29 to showcase proposed improvements along Kedzie Avenue from 159th Street to Vollmer Road. Dozens of area residents were able to examine a tabletop map of the corridor and place Post-It notes with suggestions at places they see need for improvement, especially of pedestrian and cyclist safety and access.

The plan on display focused on promoting safety, included filling in gaps in sidewalks and adding a pedestrian/cycling path. The goals of the project include improving the roadway surface, slowing traffic speed, improving drainage and providing dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists.

There have been no major changes to the plan as presented at the meeting, according to Natalia Derevyanny, director of communications for the county’s Bureau of Administration. She said staff continue to review comments from residents and are refining the details of the plan.

“We have been focusing on minimizing impacts to adjacent properties, performing detailed drainage studies and completing required project documentation,” she said. “There will be one more public meeting for this project before the completion of this first phase of engineering.”

She said the next meeting is expected to be held in the winter or early spring 2026. She said Phase 1 engineering and environmental study could be done in the summer of 2026. After that, contracts will be planned and right-of-way acquired.

Public comments are accepted at any time at [email protected]. A summary of the first public meeting has been issued and it is available at the project website at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/kedzie.