DuPage to spend $22.3 million on road projects

DuPage County plans to spend $22.3 million this year on a road program that includes pavement patching, resurfacing and traffic signal maintenance.

Officials say the focus is to improve the county's infrastructure. The program also includes an expansion of the county's ability to monitor and observe traffic and make adjustments.

Topping the list is an estimated $6.2 million plan to patch and resurface roughly 42 lane miles of county highways that officials say will improve the driving surface and extend the life of the pavement. The roads to be resurfaced include:

• County Farm Road from Jewell Road to North Avenue and from Army Trail Road to Schick Road.

• Schick from County Farm to Gary Avenue.

• 75th Street from Route 59 to Olympus Drive.

• 63rd Street from Cass Avenue to Madison Street.

Other major projects include improvements to 55th Street in Downers Grove, Westmont and Clarendon Hills.

As part of the nearly $8 million project, 55th Street will be resurfaced from Dunham Road to Williams Street. Also, the intersections of 55th and Main Street and 55th and Fairview Avenue will be widened to provide left-turn lanes. In addition, traffic signals will be modernized and interconnected.

DuPage has secured roughly $6.34 million in federal money to help pay for the project.

Bids are expected to be opened in the fall and construction is slated to be completed in November 2019.

Another project going out to bid this year is the patching and resurfacing of Greenbrook Boulevard from County Farm Road to Lake Street in Bartlett and Hanover Park. The work is estimated to cost $845,000 and be completed in June 2019.

Finally, there's going to be a $3 million expansion of the Central Signal System, which allows the county's transportation department to remotely monitor and observe traffic and make adjustments to conditions.

Don Puchalski, chairman of the DuPage County Board's transportation committee, said the expansion will add 97 signals to the county's system and connect it to the city of Naperville's system. The county system currently has 72 signals, officials said.

"This allows us to stay more on top of it," Puchalski said. "We can reduce congestion and make roadways more passable."

He said the hope is to reduce travel times while ensuring the safety of motorists and residents.

The $22.3 million of spending in the road program is funded with money from the county, state and federal governments.