Stimulus cash expanding DuPage's construction season
An infusion of federal stimulus money is a significant reason why motorists are seeing so much orange on DuPage County's roads this construction season.
While towns throughout the county had to scale back on capital projects this year because of budget cuts, the Illinois Department of Transportation received a $936 million boost from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
As a result, the state is able to do nearly 40 projects in DuPage, including the resurfacing of Route 53 in Lombard and the resurfacing of Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove.
"If they didn't have the stimulus bill, they wouldn't have as many projects going on as they do," said Chuck Tokarski, DuPage County's engineer.
Because the federal stimulus money was for projects that could be started quickly, Tokarski said much of it is being used locally for paving work.
One of the IDOT projects is the patching, grinding and resurfacing of Roosevelt Road. Work on the 2.5-mile stretch of Roosevelt, between Route 59 in West Chicago and County Farm Road in Wheaton, started last month and is expected to be finished by November.
Another project slated to be finished by November is the resurfacing of Diehl Road, between Winfield Road in Warrenville and Raymond Drive in Naperville.
The county's transportation division is expected to get $3.6 million in federal cash through the DuPage County Mayors and Managers Conference. But the projects that money will pay for won't begin until next year.
In the meantime, the county only has a handful of projects under way. They include reconstructing the Maple Avenue bridge over the East Branch of the DuPage River in Lisle and rebuilding the Thorndale Avenue bridge spanning Salt Creek in Wood Dale.
The county also is in the process of adding a fifth lane for left turns along Bloomingdale Road from Dunteman Drive to Schick Road.
"This is not a real busy summer for us," Tokarski said.
Like various governmental entities, DuPage has experienced a decline in revenues due to the recession. It also has millions of dollars committed to several major projects.
The county is among the entities helping Naperville pay for the $24.3 million road widening project at 75th and Washington streets. That intersection improvement project is slated for completion in late 2010.
DuPage County also is contributing up to $19 million for the construction of the Eola Road interchange at I-88 in Aurora.
Once completed, the interchange will be accessible only to I-PASS users. Customers paying with cash will have to use the interchanges at Farnsworth Avenue two miles to the west or Route 59 two miles to the east.
The roughly $50 million project, which is part of Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's $6.3 billion congestion relief program, is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
In addition, tollway officials said all the rebuilding and widening work happening along I-88 between Oak Brook and North Aurora is scheduled to be completed by year's end. Work also is progressing on the resurfacing and widening of I-355 from 75th Street and I-88.
"By the end of year," tollway spokeswoman Jan Kemp said, "everybody is going to be on new pavement."
<p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Under construction in DuPage</b></p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Some of the higher-profile road project going on this summer</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Roosevelt Road, Route 59 to County Farm Road: Patching, grinding and resurfacing work from West Chicago to Wheaton.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Route 53: Resurfacing work in Lombard and Addison.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Washington and 75th streets: Widening, overhaul of the Naperville intersection. </p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Maple Avenue at East Branch of the DuPage River: Bridge reconstruction in Lisle.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">I-88: Construction of new interchange at Eola Road in Aurora; widening and resurfacing from Aurora Toll Plaza to Orchard Road; widening and resurfacing from Finley Road to Route 83.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">I-355: Widening and resurfacing from 75th Street to I-88.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Sources: Illinois Toll Highway Authority, Illinois Department of Transportation, DuPage County Highway Department</p>