Touhy Avenue Closed West of Skokie Through Oct. 18

Written by Pam DeFiglio.

Touhy Avenue is scheduled to be closed to vehicle traffic Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 a.m. at the Metra Rail crossing, which is just east of Lehigh Avenue in Niles. The closure, just west of Skokie and Village Crossing Shopping Center, lasts until Oct. 18.

Metra will be doing construction work at the grade crossing. Neither vehicles, bicycles nor pedestrians will be able to get through. 

The Metra track is just west of the Village Crossing Shopping Center (on the south side of Touhy Ave.) and the  Pointe Plaza Shopping Center (on the north side of Touhy Ave.,; it contain WalMart and Babies R Us. 

If You Are East of the Tracks and Want to Cross to the West:

Then there are two main ways to detour around the blocked-off crossing.

1) As you are facing eastward on Touhy (with Wal-Mart on your left), get into the left lane and turn left immediately after Walgreens, which will be Central Avenue. Take Central north to Howard Street, turn left, and proceed ahead to cross the Metra tracks. 

2) (This will take you southbound.) As you are facing eastward on Touhy Avenue, with Wal-Mart on your left, get into the right lane and turn right on Niles Center Road/Carpenter Road (the street changes names at that point).  Proceed south one mile; the street changes names again to Central Street, and you will be in Chicago. Get in the right lane and turn right on Devon Avenue. Go one block and cross the Metra tracks. You can take the first right, which will be Lehigh; the second right, which will be Caldwell, or proceed ahead about 1.5 miles and take a right onto Milwaukee Avenue. 

If You Are West of the Tracks and Want to Cross to the East:

1) Take Caldwell or Lehigh north to Howard Street, cross the tracks, then turn right on Central Street, which will bring you back south to Touhy Avenue.

2) Take Milwaukee Avenue, Caldwell Street or Lehigh (Lehigh will likely be the most congested) south to Devon Avenue, turn left onto Devon and proceed straight until you cross the Metra tracks; then stay in the left lane and, one half-block later, turn left onto Central Street. Take it north to Touhy Avenue.