8th Avenue
Street Improvements Underway
Construction has started on improvements along 8th Ave at Mistletoe Blvd, with improvements at the Cooper intersection to follow later this year. These projects are the direct result of a study completed in 2018, identifying several locations for pedestrian and vehicular circulation and safety improvements. At the intersection of Mistletoe Blvd, vehicles traveling east will be limited to a right turn only onto 8th Ave. This change relieves congestion on Mistletoe Blvd. and more importantly will prevent the types of crashes we’ve seen far too frequently. The project also includes an enhanced mid-block crosswalk across 8th Ave to protect the increasing number of pedestrians. The addition of a median in 8th Ave will provide a safe haven between the busy traffic lanes. Changes at the Cooper intersection will slightly widen the street to add a south-bound left turn lane, alleviating traffic stacking up behind cars turning into the Cook Children’s campus. Other updates include new overhead signals, enhanced crosswalks, wider sidewalks, and landscaping on the eastern side of the street. Construction has begun at Mistletoe Blvd now and should be complete this summer. Construction for the Cooper intersection will start shortly after that. That project will be split between intersection work to be completed in late 2022, and roadside and repaving work closely coordinated with Cook Children’s and completed in early 2023.
