St. Charles moves up Randall Road repairs

Let's get this over with.

That was the approach St. Charles aldermen took Monday in addressing more street repairs needed on Randall Road -- where lane closures and traffic cones have already plagued drivers for two years.

The council voted 9-0 to pay up to $170,000 for road resurfacing to be done between Oak and Prairie streets this year, instead of delaying the county project until next summer.

Under a pending agreement, Kane County would either reimburse the city for the expense at a later date, or deduct the amount from about $1 million in debt already owed by the city, Mayor Don DeWitte said.

"The intent is to do the work as soon as possible so drivers will not have to deal with additional construction and congestion" next year, he said. "We'd like to do it all at one time to avoid any unnecessary inconvenience."

The construction is expected to begin in coming weeks and be complete by Thanksgiving.

It comes as many motorists were just getting used to the idea of open roads at the nearby intersection of Randall Road and Route 64, where a two-year construction project is wrapping up this month.

The county had planned to put off the latest repairs until next summer, officials said, but city aldermen agreed they should be done before drivers get used to open roads.