Belmont and Western intersection in Roscoe Village reopens

Belmont and Western has reopened as a five-leg intersection in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

During a news conference at the site, Mayor Rahm Emanuel beamed about the project that finished on budget and a month ahead of schedule — “which does not happen that often.”

The project included the removal of the nearly 60-year-old Riverview viaduct that was replaced with a new five-leg at-grade intersection at Western, Belmont and Clybourn. The intersection now has three lanes of traffic in each direction during rush hours, with curbside parking in some areas during off-peak hours.

Though residents had asked for the improvements and wanted the Western Avenue viaduct removed, they still had to show “incredible patience” during the project, Emanuel said.

The result is improved traffic flow.

Chicago Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said there were a host of improvements to 10 intersections, including landscaped medians and pedestrian islands where people crossing the street can wait safely.

The work “removed a longstanding eyesore of a viaduct that traces its roots back to the Riverview amusement park,” Scheinfeld said. “The hulking bridge cast a shadow” over the neighborhood.

Additional work included repairs to the Western Avenue bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River and improvements along Western at intersections with Schubert, Diversey/Elston, Belmont, Roscoe and Addison.

The $27.3 million project, which was funded through a mix of federal, state and TIF resources, began on March 1, 2016 and was completed weeks ahead of schedule.