Hit by potholes, Chicago expands road program

The harsh winter has left many Chicago streets cracked and pockmarked with tire-busting potholes, so the city is expanding this year's road-paving program.

The work will add 22 miles, bringing the total to 333 miles of main arterial roadways, neighborhood streets and alleys to be repaved.

The state of Illinois is covering most of the extra cost, pitching in $14 million. The other $8 million will come from tax increment financing districts and corporate fund savings.

In a statement Thursday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel boasted that once the work is done, Chicago will have resurfaced nearly a quarter of its 4,600 miles of streets since he took office in 2011.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider says the upside of having more roadwork to do is that it creates much-needed jobs.