Longmeadow construction hours soon can go to 11:30 p.m. in Algonquin

Algonquin officials have agreed to extend Longmeadow Parkway construction hours, allowing contractors to operate potentially noisy equipment late into the night.

Plote Construction earlier this year began reconstructing and widening the roadway from Randall Road to Karen Drive - the second phase of Kane County's roughly $135 million project. For about two weeks starting next month, crews will have permission to start equipment at 6 a.m., commence work at 7 a.m. and perform paving operations until 11:30 p.m.

Typically restricted to a 7 a.m.-to-9 p.m. time frame, Plote requested the time extension to expedite the project's completion and ensure a better-quality pavement, senior project manager Joseph Weishaar said.

Trustees voted 4-2 Tuesday to fulfill Plote's request by granting a variance to the village's noise ordinance. The extended hours will take effect only during the paving process, scheduled for two separate weeklong periods, Village President John Schmitt said.

"In the short term, there will be excessive noise late at night. That's just a given," he said. "But the long-term benefits are significant."

The road is being installed as a concrete pavement, which requires a specialized process, officials said in a memo. The extended construction hours will ensure concrete cutting is timed properly, thus mitigating the potential for future cracking, road noise and maintenance.

The extension also speeds up the paving process by about 10 days, Weishaar said, noting the project is running behind schedule for various reasons, including recent heavy rainfall and the state budget impasse.

Still, some residents have expressed concerns over potential disturbances caused by the late-night construction. Roz Strapko, whose home backs up to the parkway, argued the loud noise and bright lights could interrupt sleep, causing problems for residents who have to wake up early for work and children who are returning to school later this month.

"Our lives have been so disrupted by all this," she said. "We're tired of being inconvenienced."

Trustees Janis Jasper and Laura Brehmer, both Longmeadow Parkway opponents, voted against the noise variance. Though she understands why Plote requested the extension, Jasper said she's "not sure how to explain it to the people who live in that area."

As crews move along the parkway, nearby residents likely won't be affected for more than a few hours at a time, Schmitt said. Noisy night construction, he added, could be a small price to pay for a quicker project timeline and fewer technical issues in the future.