A Season of Giving
Donate non-perishable food items to Leyden Family Services’ Food Pantry. There is a drop-off box at Village Hall. The Franklin Park Police Department is collecting unwrapped toys for their annual Toys for Tots campaign at the Police Station through December 18.
The Franklin Park Public Library is accepting donations for the American Legion’s Post Stand Down 2024. You may drop off new toiletries and unused winter clothing including jackets, sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, and blankets at the Library’s Circulation Desk at 10311 Grand Avenue.
Click here for List of Items Needed
Best Decorated Home for the Holidays
Help us spread Christmas cheer throughout Franklin Park! To have your home considered, please send an email to villagenews@vofp.com that includes your family’s name, address, phone number, and photos of your decorated home by December 18. We will post your photos on our Facebook page. If you have questions or would like to enter the contest via the phone, call (847) 671-8236.

Blood Drive – December 1
The final Community Blood Drive of the year will be held on Friday, December 1 from 3 to 7:30 PM in the Community Room of the Police Station. Please donate if you are able!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2023
GRAND AVENUE LANE CLOSURES AND DETOURS SCHEDULED UNDER THE TRI-STATE TOLLWAY (I-294) NEAR FRANKLIN PARK
Overnight closures needed to safely accommodate I-294 bridge beam removal
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Overnight roadway closures and detours are scheduled next week on Grand Avenue underneath the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) in Franklin Park to accommodate bridge beam removal for reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers. Full roadway closures and detours are necessary to safely provide a work zone and accommodate traffic as the Tollway rebuilds the I-294 bridge carrying traffic over Grand Avenue. Up-to-date closure information will be posted on the Tollway website in the Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
On Monday, December 4, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5, lane closures in both directions are scheduled on Grand Avenue between Northwest Avenue and County Line Road, with detours scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
Detours for both eastbound and westbound Grand Avenue traffic will be posted during the overnight roadway closures:
• Westbound Grand Avenue traffic will be detoured south on Mannheim Road (U.S. Route 12/U.S.
Route 45), west on North Avenue (Illinois Route 64) and north on Kingery Highway (Illinois Route
83) to access Grand Avenue at Lake Street (U.S. Route 20).
• Eastbound Lake Street (U.S. Route 20) traffic destined to Eastbound Grand Avenue will be
detoured south on Kingery Highway (Illinois Route 83) via the Lake Street on ramp and then east on North Avenue (Illinois Route 64) and north on Mannheim Road (U.S. Route 12/U.S. Route 45) to access eastbound Grand Avenue.
On northbound I-294 at Grand Avenue, nightly single lane closures will be scheduled to move
construction equipment in advance of and following bridge beam removal, as well as throughout the bridge beam removal work.
If bridge beam removal work cannot be completed during this time, additional nights of closures and detours will be scheduled overnight on Tuesday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 6.
Construction in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County, DuPage County, the City of Elmhurst, the City of Northlake and the Village of Franklin Park, as well as local fire and police departments.
Reconstruction and widening work on the Central Tri-State Tollway between Balmoral Avenue and St. Charles Road began in June 2018 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2024. Work in this northern section of the Central Tri-State includes repairing, resurfacing and widening I-294 between Balmoral Avenue and St. Charles Road along with improvements to medians, bridges and ramps, as well as reconstructing the inside shoulders to include Flex Lanes.
Work in this section also includes construction of the new I-490/I-294 Interchange with two new ramp bridges that will provide access for the new I-490 Tollway and a new southbound exit ramp from I-294 to County Line Road between Grand Avenue and North Avenue. Improvements as part of this project also include guardrail, drainage, lighting and signage installation, as well as landscaping improvements.
Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.
The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95thStreet to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.
Work Zone Safety
Construction zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present. On I -294, a 45 mph work zone speed limit is in effect throughout the construction season.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2 -year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 152,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 11 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I -90) as a state-of- the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.
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Cook County Launches Residential Solar Installation Program
Cook County Sun and Save program will install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at no cost for income-qualified residences and homeowners in Cook County. The program will also cover some roof and electrical repairs for income-eligible owner-occupied homes in Cook County that meet the program’s guidelines. Installing solar helps reduce carbon emissions, utility bills and barriers to clean energy for residents.
Households must meet all the following requirements:
- Homeowners of single-family and small multi-family residences of four units or less located within Cook County.
- Homeowners must live in the home. For small multi-family homes of four units or less, the owner/property owner must live in one of the units and is required to be the primary applicant for the program.
- Household income of the homeowner must be between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income.
To learn more: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/sunandsave?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
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Leaf Pickup and Yard Waste Removal Information
Leaf and yard waste removal service will continue through the first week of December. Leaves must be placed in brown biodegradable bags or in the Yard Waste container from Republic Services. Put your container or biodegradable bags out for pickup on Tuesdays. Leaves will not be removed if they are in plastic bags or placed in the street. Bags can be purchased at local grocery and hardware stores. Do not blow leaves into the street because it damages street sweeper equipment and can clog sewers causing street flooding.
Burning leaves is not permitted. Instead of raking leaves, you can mulch them! Simply mow over the leaves a few times and let them sit on your lawn. The mulched leaves provide nutrients and protection from winter weather. Also, sprinkle over your plants and shrubs to help retain water during winter months. The Department of Public Works will sweep curbs through late November. Check signs on your block for parking restrictions. For more information, call (847) 671-8252.

Watch for Scams
If you receive something in the mail requesting the need to
have a worker conduct a test or an inspection in your home, please
review the information carefully to verify if it is really from
the Village. If you are unsure, please contact the Village at
(847) 671-4800 or call the Police Department at (847) 678-2444.
As a reminder, residents should always ask for identification
from anyone requesting access to their home. If you are
approached by an individual claiming to be a Village of
Franklin Park employee or a worker from a local utility,
make sure they have proper identification. You can also
check to see that they are driving a clearly marked Village
of Franklin Park or utility company vehicle. If something
seems suspicious or it just doesn’t “feel” right to you, please
call the Franklin Park Police Department at 847-678-2444.
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