Bartlett approves bid for drainage improvement project on Amherst Drive

Bartlett officials expressed excitement at a village board meeting earlier this week about getting a drainage improvement project under way on Amherst Drive with help from DuPage County.

The county's Division of Transporation will cover 50 percent of the cost of the nearly $222,000 project.

The board approved a contract with American Underground of IL on Tuesday. It will include approximately 900 feet of storm sewer, roadway restoration on South Bartlett Road — which intersects with the west end of Amherst Drive — and landscape restoration.

“During flooding, that low area fills up very, very quickly and it's one of the last to recede,” said Village Administrator Valerie Salmons, noting that some homes affected by flooding have backyards that meet up against the county's land and a ComEd easement.

“While it may not be as critical as some of the (other flooding problems) we have, we try to be diligent in moving through all of them and seeing if we could bring other partners … to help us pay for these and I think this was another success,” Salmons added.

Trustee Eric Shipman said he appreciated the work the village staff did to get ComEd onboard. “Although you said this (project) was not big on a grand scale, I'm sure it's earth-moving to those residents around Amherst Drive,” he said.