As of Now, Arlington Park's Adjacent Roads to Undergo Resurfacing, Not Expansion

Instead, the makeover will focus on enhancing the surrounding road infrastructure, prepping the area for the influx of football fans that the Bears' arrival would inevitably bring. Key elements of the plan include an overhaul of the traffic signal system at the Euclid Avenue and Wilke Road intersection, as well as resurfacing the bike path stretching from Salt Creek to Wilke on Euclid's south side.

As of now, Euclid Avenue varies in width from four lanes near the racetrack, complete with medians and left-turn lanes, to a more modest two lanes as you travel further east. According to Mike Pagones, the Village Engineer, any major modifications to Euclid's structure in response to the Bears project would be coordinated with the redevelopment.

But the current focus is on maintenance, hence the four-mile resurfacing of Euclid between Rohlwing and Rand roads. The plan is for construction to kick off in 2025, following the completion of a $4.5 million resurfacing of Wilke from the racetrack's east entrance to Algonquin Road in 2024.

Interestingly, all this could be wrapped up before the Bears break ground on the proposed $5 billion mixed-use redevelopment, which features a state-of-the-art domed stadium as the centerpiece. In a recent letter to leaders of three school districts, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren noted that the Arlington Park site wouldn't have any commercial use for at least the next two years as he continues to negotiate for a more favorable tax deal.

In October last year, village officials secured a hefty $3.5 million in federal funding for the project via the Northwest Municipal Conference, not long after the bipartisan infrastructure law got the green light. Given that the majority of Euclid falls within Cook County, the county is footing about 60% of the remaining costs. Meanwhile, Rolling Meadows has agreed to cover the costs for the bike path, as per a proposed intergovernmental agreement.