Evanston will begin construction Monday on a project to create a protected bike lane on Dodge Avenue, which will span from Howard Street to Lake Street, the city announced Tuesday.

Protected bike lanes provide additional protection to riders, placing them farther away from active traffic, said James Chambers, a resident engineer for HLR Engineering.

Currently, Dodge Avenue has parking on both sides of the road and a bike lane outside of those parking stalls, Chambers said. Next to the bike lane is the traffic lane for vehicles.

“What we’re going to do is flip the parking stalls with the bike lanes,” Chambers said. “So now the bike lanes will be closer to the curb and the parking stalls will be between the bike lane and vehicle, which will act as an additional buffer.”

Chambers said to expect only “very short-term” delays during construction. The work will be done in half-mile increments and traffic will continue to flow in both directions so as to maintain “minimal disruption,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed by mid-July, according to a press release from the city.

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