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Gurnee mayor cautious on $425K commitment to Grand Ave./Rt. 41 work

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik has urged caution about planned village spending on water main relocation work at Grand Avenue and Route 41 because of uncertainty on a related state project in the area.

Plans call for the Illinois Department of Transportation to pay for reconstruction of a Union Pacific railroad bridge at Grand and Route 41 - a project that has been delayed since April. Another facet of IDOT's work would involve intersection improvements at Route 41 and Grand Avenue.

Gurnee is planning to take advantage of the IDOT construction zone and relocate water mains along Grand Avenue near Route 41. The village has set aside $425,000 for the work.

Village Engineer Scott Drabicki said bids from companies seeking the water main job are likely to be presented to elected officials at a Monday, Sept. 14, meeting . During a capital improvements update he provided to officials at a meeting late last month, Drabicki said Gurnee will be committed to the project if a bid is approved by the village board and signed.

Kovarik said she was unsure about committing to the work, in part because IDOT has yet to start the bridge and intersection project at Grand and Route 41.

"We need to be really careful before we sign any contracts," she said, "because there is no guarantee what the state will or will not do."

IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell said Tuesday the Route 41-Grand project is included in the state's 2016 construction program and is tentatively scheduled to begin next spring. He said construction bids may be sought in January, contingent on plan readiness, land acquisition and finalization of an agreement with Union Pacific.

Drabicki said IDOT was originally supposed to start the project this past April.

Gurnee is in the middle of $6.3 million in transportation system upgrades for the 2015-16 budget season ending April 30 that Village Administrator Patrick Muetz said is the largest capital improvement program in the town's history. About $5.4 million of that amount is going toward roadway reconstruction and resurfacing. Drabicki said late-summer major reconstruction turned out well on Belle Plaine and Magnolia avenues east of Route 41, at a cost of roughly $1.8 million.

"The neighbors have been absolutely wonderful to work with," he said. "Everyone is very excited."

Money generated from a local sales tax boost in Gurnee has been dedicated to infrastructure projects. Gurnee's home-rule local sales tax went from .50 percent to 1 percent in January 2014 and is projected to bring an extra $4.6 million annually. "This is your sales tax dollars at work," Kovarik said. "Shop local. Shop Gurnee."

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