Drivers and shoppers heading to downtown Wheaton will lose a key north-south route for up to three weeks starting the week of July 20, when the city closes West Street between Wesley Street and Seminary Avenue to replace a sanitary sewer main.

The closure affects a block adjacent to the Hale and Front Street retail corridor. During construction, northbound traffic will detour one block east to Gary Avenue, and southbound traffic will shift one block west to Wheaton Avenue, according to a civic alert the city published Wednesday, July 15.

Crews will work weekdays from approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The road will reopen each evening and on weekends.

Residents who live on the affected stretch will keep access to their homes and will receive separate instructions from the city, the alert said.

Part of a $5.5 million citywide program

The sewer replacement is one piece of Wheaton's 2026 Road, Sewer, and Water Rehabilitation Program, a contract the City Council awarded to R.W. Dunteman Company of Addison on Monday, April 21, for a total not to exceed $5,513,388.67 plus a 5 percent contingency, according to the council's bid memo. The program covers 5.35 miles of streets citywide, including pavement resurfacing, reconstruction, and replacement of sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and water mains.

West Street from Wesley Street to Harrison Avenue is listed in the program's scope of work for rehabilitation and resurfacing. No per-segment cost breakdown has been published.

The full program came in roughly $1.8 million over the city's original $4.91 million budget. To close the gap, the council deferred work on Driving Park Road.

Timeline and next steps

The city estimates the West Street work will wrap up within two to three weeks, putting the expected completion between the weeks of August 3 and August 10. No follow-up public hearing or council vote is scheduled for this segment.

Residents and business owners with questions can contact the Engineering Department at 630-260-2065.