DeKalb soon will be feeling the pressure of yet another intersection closing.

Beginning Nov. 18, the Route 23 and Route 38 intersection will be closed for repairs along the railroad.

According to a press release from the City of DeKalb, the local detour route will be First Street to Locust Street to seventh Street, for Route 38. The Route 23 detour will be Pine Street to seventh Street to Grove Street.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will post the detour route on both state highways.

“This is all the Union Pacific Railroad,” said Mike Bauling, DeKalb project implementation engineer.

The repairs are expected to take about three weeks. Bauling explained that the amount of traffic along the railroad tracks themselves will determine how long the road will be under construction.

“It will be similar to the replacing of the crossing at other intersections in DeKalb,” Bauling said.

The tracks will be upgraded from their current deteriorated state to accommodate faster speeds for locomotives.

It is uncertain how the railroad construction and road closing will affect local DeKalb businesses.

“I don’t think it will affect business much, a lot of our guys walk here anyway,” said Robert Goering, an employee of Andy’s Lounge, l317 E. Lincoln Highway.

Bauling explained that this type of repair is not typical and usually only is undertaken when the tracks have deteriorated past a predetermined level.

Bauling elaborated, saying that the old rubber guide along the tracks will be replaced with a concrete block. The asphalt surface of the streets themselves will be raised to create a smooth flow of traffic.

The Union Pacific Railroad and the State of Illinois will cover the costs of these repairs.

“This one will involve four times as much work than the other intersections. It is close to 300 feet of rail,” Bauling said.