advertisement

DuPage secures state money for roads

DuPage County will receive $3.65 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation to help pay for four major road projects.

County board members, who approved four separate pacts with IDOT this week, say the extra money ensures projects along 55th Street, 75th Street, Fabyan Parkway and Gary Avenue will proceed as planned.

“We’ve had a tight budget these past couple years,” said board member Don Puchalski, who is chairman of the transportation committee. “But Chairman (Dan) Cronin was successful in getting this additional money from Springfield, which allows us to get these projects going and complete them.”

While the federal government agreed to pay most of the cost of the 55th Street, 75th Street and Fabyan Parkway projects, DuPage still needed to raise millions to qualify.

“We don’t get a lot of money for transportation,” board member Brian Krajewski said. “This (state money) is $3.6 million that we don’t have to come up with out of our budget,”

Three of the projects that will get state money are scheduled to go out to bid this fall.

The first will improve the West Chicago intersection of Fabyan Parkway at Roosevelt Road. Construction is expected to begin next year. The federal government is going to pay $5.6 million of the project’s $7 million estimated cost.

Another project slated to go to bid this fall is the roughly $6 million widening and resurfacing of Gary Avenue from North Avenue to Army Trail Road in Carol Stream. DuPage will pay about $5.4 million, and the state will contribute $650,000. Construction is expected to start next year.

Work also is scheduled to begin next year on a $12.7 million reconstruction of 75th Street from Adams Street to Plainfield Road in Darien. The project includes adding turn lanes and improving intersections. The state will contribute $1 million toward the cost.

The fourth project will improve intersections along 55th Street from Dunham Road to Clarendon Hills Road near Downers Grove and Westmont.

Bids for the estimated $4.75 million project are expected to be sought in fall 2015. Work is slated to begin in 2016. The state has agreed to pay $1 million of the cost.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.