Downtown Elgin road construction frustrating business owners, residents
Detours along Douglas Avenue in downtown Elgin this past week have frustrated some business owners and residents - including Mayor Ed Schock - who expected construction to be done because the street was ripped up for most of 2009 as part of the city's $40 million downtown streetscape plan.
"It's like rubbing salt in the wounds," he said.
Construction crews were finishing laying bricks Friday in crosswalks along parts of Douglas Avenue and the detours should be gone this week. But Schock wants to the city to explore whether it can start street work earlier this year to avoid having to go back the next year to take care of loose ends.
For this construction season, crews will wrap up water main work on Highland Avenue. Then, they will do streetscape work on Highland from Riverside Drive to Center Street.
In addition to crosswalk work, they also will repave the city hall entrance, and do streetscape work on Center from Kimball to Dundee Avenue and along Spring Street from Highland to Division Street.
Next year, though, the downtown disruptions could be considerably less, as the city delays work to replenish a special fund set up to pay for the downtown work.
"They're not taking a year off. That's a misnomer," City Manager Sean Stegall said.
Elgin's plan tackles streets in two phases.
The first step is working on the underground utilities and the year after comes above ground work such as pavers, streetlights and landscaping.
In fall 2011, crews will not do any brick work or landscaping. Instead, they will work on the water main on Spring Street from Division to Kimball and along Dexter Avenue from Center to Douglas.
In 2012, crews will do the streetscape improvements for those two areas.
And finally, in 2013, streetscape work will be done on the Highland bridge from Riverside to State Street and on the Chicago Street bridge from Riverside to State as well. Crews also will repave DuPage Court.
For details, visit cityofelgin.org or downtownelgin.info.