Mt. Prospect upgrades pedestrian crossing by Melas Park

Mount Prospect will contribute as much as $79,500 to pedestrian crossing improvements at Central Road and Weller Lane, officials said.

The figure represents the village's share of the project, beyond the federal grant dollars it has received.

Public Works Director Sean Dorsey said that in 2014, the village received a grant for the Safe Routes to School program for more than $92,000.

The purpose of the project, he said, is to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle traffic near Melas Park to accommodate the jogging path and the civic events held there.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, which administers the grant, has awarded the contract to Alliance Contractors Inc. of Woodstock, which offered the low bid of around $164,000. Dorsey said the cost is above the engineer's estimate, which was $130,700, but he is not surprised.

“That is an increase that we have been experiencing, particularly this year, with construction costs related to concrete, asphalt and transportation of any type, stone or backfill,” Dorsey told the village board last week.

Trustee John Matuszak wondered whether it is a trend that will continue into next year. Dorsey said that it could.

“We think that it is, in large part, due to the fact that there is a lot of demand out there,” he said, pointing to the volume of work being done for the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Toll Highway Authority and the city of Chicago.

Dorsey said the project will include a pedestrian refuge island in the middle of Central Road, plus a wider sidewalk along Willow Lane just south of Central Road. The crossing will be moved farther east, as will the entrance to the Melas Park jogging path.

Trustee Richard Rogers expressed concern that people exceep the posted speed of 35 mph, creating a threat to children going to the park. He also noted there is a hill to the east of the crossing and asked if there would be signs or a stoplight.

Dorsey said there would be signs but not additional traffic controls. He said there has not been a history of accidents involving children.

Trustee Steven Polit said he would like to see a pedestrian bridge from Meadows Park to Melas Park, a project that has been on the back burner.