Roselle mulls Foster Avenue repairs

Roselle officials are considering moving forward with major repairs on Foster Avenue for the first time in roughly 20 years.

Engineers are studying the possible cost and scope of the project, which would run from Roselle Road east to Sycamore Avenue.

Village Administrator Jeff O'Dell said repairs would include patching and resurfacing, replacing a water main and complete ditch driveway culvert replacement.

The village board approved a $146,000 study last spring, which is now being conducted by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. O'Dell said the study is almost complete and the board heard an update this week from the firm.

Within the next several weeks, staff members will present the board with cost estimates to see if the project can fit into the village budget that begins in late summer.

O'Dell said estimates are not yet available, but the price tag will be "substantial."

"The road is in need of repair, our board recognizes it, but we are also mindful of other infrastructure projects that need to be done," O'Dell said. "With the economy in its current state, we must decide if we need to do it, when, and how would we pay for it."

Other items competing for budget dollars include maintenance of the municipal buildings and wastewater treatment plant, the annual street renewal program and stormwater infrastructure projects. O'Dell said stormwater issues are a priority due to flooding last September.

"All those dollars go into a pool and we as a community have to balance our priorities," he said.