A two-year construction project that has affected traffic and residents in a portion of downtown Elgin is finally complete.
Barriers were removed Monday on East Chicago Street, reopening the milelong stretch of road between Liberty and Center streets to two-way traffic.
The $7.6 million reconstruction project involved more than just road improvements, Public Works Director Mike Pubentz said.
"The project allowed us to separate the sanitary and the storm sewers, which helps us meet our EPA goals, and decreases the chances of sewage backups into private homes and businesses along the route due to the sewer mains flowing at capacity," Pubentz said.
In conjunction with the project, the city did its first large-scale lead water service line replacement effort, in which it replaced all the publicly owned lead water service lines.
Pubentz said the city also implemented a zero-interest loan program to help residents in the construction area replace privately owned lead water service lines now, while spreading repayments over several years.
The project was funded with $2.5 million in federal money, and the remainder came from city funds. The city share came from the Riverboat Fund, Utilities Fund and Central Area TIF Fund -- from a tax increment financing district in which property taxes above a certain point are funneled into redevelopment rather than local governments.
The city worked with contractor Martam Construction, engineering consultant Engineering Enterprises Inc., the Illinois Department of Transportation, multiple utility companies, the Illinois EPA, neighborhood groups and individual residents to complete the project, "all while maintaining the character of the historic neighborhood through which East Chicago Street passes," Pubentz said.
He said he understood the length of the project provided hardships for residents.
"There were several challenges along the way, but perhaps none greater than the impact this project had on the lives of Chicago Street residents," Pubentz said. "Access interruptions, traffic delays, water service interruptions, noise and dust, limited parking availability, and the general inconvenience of living within the construction zone limits for two years can be very frustrating, but for the most part our residents were very patient with the process."
The project also involved installing new curbs, gutters and sidewalks, but some work remains. A new replacement control cabinet will be installed in coming weeks for the new traffic signals at Gifford and Channing streets. Officials also await delivery and installation of replacement historic streetlight poles and fixtures, possibly in December.
And, officials are completing the final coordination with PACE Suburban Bus to reestablish bus stop locations from Center Street to Liberty Street.
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November 06, 2020 at 07:37AM
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Two-year construction project on East Chicago Street in Elgin finally complete - Chicago Daily Herald
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