Naperville commuters who use Book Road near 75th Street got relief on Aug. 28 when a closed section of the road reopened.
The stretch of Book Road between Rickert Avenue and 75th Street is now open to traffic, easing congestion that had been building at intersections along 75th Street since closures began in December 2025. Jennifer Louden, Naperville's Director of Transportation, Engineering, and Development, confirmed the reopening at the Tuesday, Sept. 1 City Council meeting.
"I know Plainfield-Naperville has been having some congestion, so that should improve there," Louden said.
The reopening clears one bottleneck for south Naperville drivers, but miles of Book Road remain closed as the $400 million WaterLink Pipeline Project pushes forward. Crews are installing a 54-inch water main roughly 10 feet underground to carry Lake Michigan water to Montgomery, Oswego and Yorkville, three communities facing a depleting aquifer, NCTV17 reported.
The DuPage Water Commission owns and operates the pipeline. Burns & McDonnell is managing construction across the 30-mile route, according to Engineering News-Record.
What's still closed
Three segments of Book Road remain shut, each on a different timeline:
- 75th Street to 83rd Street: Expected to reopen within a few weeks.
- 83rd Street to 87th Street: Closed through the fall.
- 87th Street to 95th Street: Local southbound traffic only. May last through the end of the year.
Beyond Book Road, 248th Avenue between 95th Street and Trumpet Avenue is also closed and expected to reopen by the end of summer. Work extended south from Trumpet Avenue to Lapp Lane the week before Sept. 3, with local traffic only. Jessica James, project manager for Burns & McDonnell, told NCTV17 that stretch will likely stay restricted into the fall.
No cost to Naperville taxpayers
The project is funded through federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans and local contributions from Montgomery, Oswego and Yorkville, which together serve about 90,000 residents. It costs Naperville nothing.
Springbrook Prairie Trail south of 75th Street and near 83rd Street and Book Road will stay open during construction. The Naperville Park District noted in a March social media post that golfers heading to Springbrook Golf Course should allow extra travel time because of the closures.
WaterLink said the Naperville portion of the project will continue into 2027. The full 30-mile pipeline is expected to wrap up in 2028.
Residents with questions or concerns can call the WaterLink hotline at (630) 576-9997.
City Hall week ahead
No upcoming City Council meeting or public hearing specifically addressing the WaterLink project was confirmed in available sources. Council agendas and meeting schedules are posted at naperville.il.us.
