Downtown Lombard begins a busy stretch of underground infrastructure work this week as a gas-main replacement and a separate round of storm-system inspections move into several well-traveled streets.

The larger project will replace a gas main beneath St. Charles Road between North Lincoln Avenue and Main Street, with construction beginning during the week of Monday, Oct. 26.

Nicor Gas determined that the new main was needed while crews were completing other utility work in the area.

The project also includes replacing the individual gas service lines connecting the main to nearby buildings.

St. Charles Road will remain open, but travel through downtown may take longer than usual.

Drivers should expect temporary partial lane closures as the work moves along the corridor, while on-street parking and sidewalk access may also be restricted near active construction areas.

Crews are scheduled to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with possible Saturday work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The main-installation project is expected to continue through Saturday, Nov. 21, weather permitting.

Downtown businesses are expected to remain accessible throughout the construction.

Customers and visitors may need to approach some storefronts from a different direction, however, depending on where crews, equipment and safety barriers are positioned that day.

Gas-service replacements are planned for Nov. 16 through Nov. 21.

Affected property owners will be contacted to arrange the work and receive information about scheduling or any necessary interruption to gas service.

A second project begins Tuesday, Oct. 27, when the Village’s contractor starts examining manholes and storm-drain inlets along East St. Charles Road, Western Avenue and St. Charles Place.

Those storm drain inspections are expected to take approximately two weeks and may create additional temporary lane restrictions.

Traffic will remain open during the inspections, but motorists should slow down around workers and allow additional time when traveling through the affected areas.

The overlap means drivers could encounter changing work zones in more than one part of the St. Charles Road corridor.

Pedestrians should also watch for posted sidewalk directions and avoid entering marked construction areas.

The work is temporary, but it will require extra patience from residents, commuters and customers heading into downtown Lombard through much of November.

Planning a few extra minutes and continuing to support accessible downtown businesses can help keep the disruption manageable while the infrastructure work moves forward.