Rt. 72 repair project to get an earlier start

A five-mile stretch of Route 72 in Hampshire will undergo repairs and resurfacing sooner than expected, state Rep. Tim Schmitz said Wednesday.

"It is falling apart. There is no other way to put it," Schmitz said. "It is incredible what has happened to it."

The section of roadway from French Road on the west side of Hampshire to Route 47 on the east had been slated for repairs closer to 2012.

But Schmitz, a Batavia Republican hoping to be re-nominated in Tuesday's election, said he has worked closely with the Illinois Department of Transportation to expedite the project, which now could begin as early as this spring.

"Illinois Route 72 is a well-traveled road that is in dire need of repairs," Schmitz said in a prepared release.

"I have been in contact with IDOT for some time now and am pleased to report that they have moved the Route 72 project up."

Schmitz said bidding for the project is slated to begin this spring with construction set to begin during the summer.

Brian Carlson, project development chief for the Chicago metropolitan area, said the department often modifies projects based on road conditions.

Carlson said engineers are working on plans for the project, which would be included in the department's fiscal year 2009 program if funding is available.

"We are experiencing winter damage on a lot of pavements that were in poor or deteriorating conditions already," said Carlson, who indicated work would not begin sooner than July 1, when the department's 2009 fiscal year begins.

"We can adjust priorities based on current conditions. A project may or may not move up the list depending on the damage since the last program exercise."

In the meantime, Carlson said, IDOT continues patching the road to keep it safe for motorists.