Homewood officials announced Monday, June 15, that the Dixie Highway viaduct drainage project will be delayed further after crews discovered a utility conflict that has to be resolved before construction can begin.

The village was notified by the Illinois Department of Transportation that the contractor, Iroquois Paving, will suspend work temporarily after discovering a NICOR gas line is in the way of the new 48-inch drainage line that will replace the existing, partially collapsed drainage line.

The gas line will have to be relocated before the drainage project can proceed, village officials said.

NICOR is expected to begin work on the gas line relocation after July 4 and could finish that project by the end of July.

“We understand this project has involved several schedule changes, and we sincerely apologize for the continued uncertainty and inconvenience,” a village spokesperson said. “We know many residents, businesses and commuters have been affected by the back and forth, and we appreciate your patience.”

The village is not directly involved in the IDOT project but has served to convey updates to residents from the state agency and the contractor.

The drainage improvement project is something village officials spent decades lobbying for. The collapsed drain line north of the viaduct has contributed to chronic flooding that complicates travel in the area.