The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) opened the Oakton Bridge to commuters after working on its construction since March 2024. The Niles West construction team advanced the building of the school addition, which began in March 2025, projecting it to be finished by December 2025. 

During the day, many students have stopped to observe the ongoing construction on the Niles West addition. To address the confusion regarding the progress of the project, Principal Steve Parnther provided insight on the target time.

“The three-story addition construction started in the spring, they’ve been moving along. They’ve made a lot of headway in the summertime and they continue working while we’re in school. They’re being mindful of our pickup and drop-off times, but they’re still working because they want to be ahead of the game before winter comes,” Parnther said.

So far, the project has stayed on the scheduled budget of $31 million. As a member of the planning team, Director of Finance Sarah Kowalski has communicated directly with construction workers and Parnther in weekly update meetings. Kowalski shared what the construction crew has completed and what work remains to be done.

“So they’re currently doing the exterior part of the addition, so it’s going to be three floors. They’ve already put steel up… they’ve done the foundation work. So just really the preliminary stuff…” Kowalski said.

With the buulding progress, chages have pccured regarding traffic and the location of offices in the school building. The traffic pattern in the school parking lot has been modified. Offices on the north side of the school, including the counselors and assistant principals, have been relocated to the west side.

“But I think the biggest impact has been on the traffic pattern and on parking. We’re trying to work with the students and the staff to make sure everybody’s still accommodated and that everybody’s staying safe because it’s always our number one priority,” Kowlaski said.

The second project affecting students is the Oakton Bridge, which connects Oakton Street over the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94). The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reported that the 10-foot lane addition and sidewalk widening construction were finalized before District 219’s first day of school. Students and staff can now arrive and depart from school efficiently without traffic resulting from the bridge.

“They finished striping, so both lanes going east and westbound are open… which is exciting for us because that then alleviates some of the bottleneck traffic on our campus… Parents, students and families have the opportunity to expedite some of our arrival and dismissal,” Parnther said.

Although the central construction for the bridge has been completed, minor tasks remain. The entire project is expected to be completed by late 2025.

“Finishing items include interconnecting fiber optic cables that run along the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94), activating the permanent traffic signals at the intersection of Oakton Street and Gross Point Road, then deactivating and removing the temporary traffic signals along with some minor sidewalk patching,” IDOT Public Information Officer Maria Castaneda said.