Roads Close As Electromagnet Relocation Begins

Rolling road closures will continue through Thursday

A 50-foot-wide traveler is on the move.

An electromagnet being relocated from Lemont to Batavia by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory scientists will cause overnight road closures beginning Tuesday night on the Illinois Tollway as well as state and DuPage County roads.

The magnet's route includes Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and chosen sections of state routes 53, 56, 59. Closures will last three nights through Thursday.

Rolling road blocks also will be used to close off intersections, according to the tollway. As the magnet is moved, working crews will follow and adjust the closings to allow traffic to continue flowing. Overnight drivers are advised to leave early to reach their destinations on-time.

The electromagnet, which is not a working magnet until plugged in at the lab, arrived Saturday in Lemont and will be moved by a specifically designed truck from a barge.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Tollway, Illinois State Police, DuPage County and Fermilab all collaborated to arrange the big move.

The complete schedule of the move is listed on Fermilab's website.

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