Winnetka residents who travel Willow Road should prepare for lane restrictions, road closures and pedestrian detours during a reconstruction project expected to begin before the end of 2026 and reach substantial completion by the end of 2027.
The village is moving to award a contract for a full reconstruction of Willow Road, stretching 0.87 miles from the western village limits, about 100 feet east of Forest Way Drive, to Provident Avenue. Construction is expected to begin west of Hibbard Road before year-end, according to a village project announcement.
Substantial completion is anticipated by the end of 2027.
What's getting rebuilt
The project goes well beyond repaving. Willow Road will be completely reconstructed, and the Willow and Hibbard Roads intersection will be redesigned with dedicated left-turn lanes in all directions. The intersection will also get upgraded traffic signals with new phasing and timing, according to the village announcement.
Additional work includes targeted sidewalk replacements, upgraded ADA-accessible pedestrian crossings and replacement of all driveway aprons along the corridor.
Underground, the project is part of Winnetka's broader stormwater management program. New stormwater conveyance pipes will connect to underground storage installed in previous years on the village's west side. The village said the project also addresses water system and sanitary sewer upgrades along the corridor.
Why it matters for west-side flooding
The stormwater work is a piece of a larger program that dates to a July 23, 2011, flash storm that dropped 6.5 inches of rain in 3.5 hours on Winnetka. That storm exceeded a 100-year event and damaged more than 1,000 homes, roughly 25 percent of the community, according to a Strand Associates presentation to the NASECAWI conference. The village subsequently revised its stormwater management program to provide 100-year flood protection at an estimated cost of $42 million.
The overall program targets removing 425 homes from flooding through 164 acre-feet of stormwater storage. Stormwater conveyance will be built in six phases across the village's west and southwest sides. Ten agencies partnered on the effort, including the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Winnetka School District 36.
Traffic impacts and what to expect
The village warns that construction will have "significant impacts on traffic and pedestrians on Willow Road." Drivers and walkers should expect changing traffic patterns, lane restrictions, roadway closures and pedestrian detours throughout the project.
A detailed construction schedule has not been finalized. The village said email updates will begin once that schedule is set. Residents can sign up for project email alerts through the village's website.
How it's funded
Winnetka is sharing costs with IDOT and has received a federal transportation grant. The IDOT Rebuild Illinois Highway Improvement Program lists $3,527,000 for the Willow Road reconstruction in the 57th Representative District for fiscal years 2026–2030. The village has not publicly stated the full project cost.
What the village hasn't said yet
The village announcement does not specify which segments will close in what order, how long each phase will last, or what official detour routes will be signed for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Whether the Willow and Hibbard intersection will require a full closure or only lane restrictions is also unstated.
