South Elgin to repair bumpy roads
While she campaigned on Robertson Road earlier this year, South Elgin Village Trustee Lisa Guess says she heard an earful from residents about the rocky road.
One woman even went to the extreme, hurling complaints at Guess while using her car to follow the trustee on the street.
"I don't scare too easily," Guess said, adding that her husband, Stan, was with her at that time.
The road, rated as the worst in town because of its crumbling asphalt, potholes, cracks and bad drainage, tops the village's to-do list when it comes to street repairs, said Chuck Behm, director of the public works department.
Seven streets are on the list for now and, if bids to do the work come in lower than expected, officials may repair anywhere from one to four additional roads.
Monday, trustees went over which streets they'll use an estimated $1.2 million to fix.
This money, reserved exclusively for the town's roads, comes from a new one-half percent sales tax increase that went into effect July 1, said Finance Director Art Skibley.
Village trustees will vote on the plan at a future board meeting.
The road work on Robertson Road and other streets would be done during the 2008œ09 fiscal year, so residents need to wait just a little while longer to enjoy smooth roads.
It's estimated to cost $195,700 to restore Robertson Road. Other roads slated for facelifts are:
• Lucille Street from Gilbert Street to East Avenue, estimated to cost $306,300.
• Center Street from Robertson Road to the dead end, estimated to cost $70,700.
• Michigan Avenue from Sundown Road to the dead end, estimated to cost $172,200.
• State Street from the railroad tracks to the bridge, $369,500.
• Sundown Road from Route 31 to McLean Blvd., estimated to cost $5,000, a portion of which a grant may fund.
• Middle Street and one block of Gilbert Street, estimated to cost $83,000.
Behm said he picked these roads by using an internal report and fellow staffers.
Meanwhile, Village President Jim Hansen praised Guess for her can-do spirit in bringing Robertson Road's issues to the forefront.
"If anything is wrong, call Lisa," Hansen quipped.