Carpentersville wants to improve Old Town infrastructure

An improvement project in Carpentersville's Old Town neighborhood begins this year with a roughly $133,000 engineering study.

Infrastructure and streets need to be upgraded or replaced throughout the residential area east of the Fox River, as well as a portion of the west side, Engineering Manager Ed Szydlowski said.

Various maintenance work has been done by the public works department, such as resurfacing streets, repairing sidewalks and replacing water main valves. Infrastructure problems are arising more frequently and becoming more difficult to tackle, he said.

"In a nutshell, that is the oldest part of the village," Szydlowski said, noting the water mains and sanitary sewer systems were installed more than a century ago. "That infrastructure is just so old it gets to a point where you really can't maintain it anymore."

The village board last week approved an agreement with McHenry-based HR Green Inc. to conduct an engineering study of the area, authorizing the firm to assess existing infrastructure conditions and offer recommended improvements. The analysis, expected to be completed by the end of the summer, will also list expected project costs and suggest possible funding mechanisms for implementation, Szydlowski said.

In addition to replacing or improving water and sewer systems, the project would likely include reconstructing streets, installing curbs and gutters, putting in street lighting and fixing sidewalks, according to a proposal from Green. Construction would likely be phased in over several years, Szydlowski said.

Fixing the Old Town area has been on the village board's list of goals the past few years, Village President Ed Ritter said.

Though the target project area is largely residential, Szydlowski said it contains several well-traveled roadways often used as thoroughfares, including parts of Washington Street, Carpenter Boulevard, Williams Street and Maple Avenue. A residential area bordering East Dundee on the east side of the river, as well as part of Elm Avenue on the west side, are also included.