Streets around potential Olympic site repaved

When members of an International Olympic Committee team arrives next month to scrutinize Chicago's suitability to host the 2016 Games they will find a smooth roadway ringing the field slated to be the site of the Olympic stadium.

While motorists using Chicago's main thoroughfares swerve to avoid numerous potholes, city workers on Wednesday were repaving the street slicing through Washington Park.

Earlier this week, Transportation Commissioner Thomas Byrne said the city had been forced to patch thousands of potholes rather than resurface streets because of a three-year decline in state funding for paving arterial roads.

Department spokesman Brian Steele acknowledged the Washington Park work was bumped to the front of the line because of the impending visit from Olympic officials. He added park roads merited being fixed this year because of significant deterioration.