Downers Grove, Metra to Celebrate Completion of Belmont Underpass

Downers Grove residents are invited to join village and Metra officials Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of the Belmont Underpass.

Metra will host a ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Belmont train station, 5000 Belmont Road, to mark the completion of the $60 million underpass, located at the intersection of Belmont Road and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks.

Officials from Metra and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) will be in attendance, along with state and local officials.

Construction on the $59 million underpass at the Belmont Station began in May 2010, nearly eight years after the village entered into an agreement with the state, DuPage County, the BNSF Railway and Metra.

The project—conceived in response to a high number of traffic accidents at the location—reconfigured the intersection from an at-grade crossing to an underpass, with Belmont Road located under the tracks, as well as Warren and Burlington avenues.

The underpass, according to Metra and village officials, will improve vehicular and pedestrian safety, create faster emergency response times for fire and police personnel, improve the flow of traffic and increase accessibility to the nearby Ellsworth Industrial Park.

Although the project was scheduled to be wrapped up in June 2013, much of the work has been completed ahead of schedule, according to village officials.

Related stories: 

• Belmont Underpass 95 Percent Complete: Village of Downers Grove

• Photos: Belmont Underpass Project

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