Elgin gets jump-start on roadwork thanks to balmy weather
One possible drawback to the last few days' unseasonably warm weather? It has enticed road construction crews in Elgin to begin their work ahead of schedule.
The city is getting a head start on two road projects: one on Lord Street east of Route 31 that started this week and one near St. Edward Central Catholic High School that will start next week, senior management analyst Laura Valdez-Wilson told the city council Wednesday night.
A new sanitary sewer line is being installed on Lord Street from Willis Street to Route 31. The work in the Moseley Street and Orchard Street areas near the high school consists of street rehabilitation - or below-ground excavation to improve or replace utilities and then rebuilding of the road, which adds 20 to 25 years of life to it, Valdez-Wison said.
This year's overall $8.5 million in road projects mostly consists of resurfacing, which adds 10 to 12 years of life to roads. The rehabilitation project, the only one this year, is the most expensive at $3.2 million.
Road construction funds for 2017 mostly come from the city's share of gambling revenue from Grand Victoria Casino.
"We'll see a lot activity this year, a lot of new riding surface, which is always good news," Valdez-Wilson said.
The city is planning almost 7 miles of resurfacing in both the northwest and northeast areas of town. There will be nearly 11 miles of resurfacing in the southwest area, including a portion of Nesler Road just south of Route 20 and of South Street between Randall Road and Route 20. All of it is expected to start in June and end in October.
"It's just a few weeks of inconvenience, but it's worth years of convenience for the residents and their car," council member Rose Martinez said.
A lot of resurfacing work in the southeast area has taken place in years past, Valdez-Wilson added.
The city also will improve water system connections for residents of the Highland Woods subdivision this year, but there is no start date for that project yet, she said.
Residents affected by construction will get door-to-door notifications about when water services will be shut off and other relevant information.
For the first time this year, the city proactively will address concerns residents might have about lead in the water as a result of construction, with bilingual door hangers and brochures and a dedicated webpage that the city is setting up, Valdez-Wilson said.
Elgin's drinking water is safe, but construction can cause lead from old pipes or old service lines to be loosened into the water, Valdez-Wilson said. Residents who are concerned about that can run their faucets for at least five minutes, according to Environmental Protection Agency recommendations.
Construction maps and details are available at cityofelgin.org/construction. Residents also can use Elgin's 311 mobile app for information and to communicate with city staff members.
The city works on street projects according to a study, done a few years ago, that prioritizes what needs to be done first, City Engineer Joe Evers said.