Naperville approves street resurfacing despite cost concerns
Naperville will move ahead with roughly 13 miles of street resurfacing this summer even though bids for the work came in higher than expected.
The city council on Tuesday approved a $5,049,362 contract with R.W. Dunteman Co. of Addison to overlay existing asphalt, replace deteriorated curbs and fix sidewalks along 12.83 miles of neighborhood streets. The company also will install printed crosswalks at two downtown intersections and make improvements for people with disabilities at some locations.
Three council members who opposed the contract - Steve Chirico, Robert Fieseler and David Wentz - said they wanted to seek new bids to beat the $4,462,876 engineer's estimate for the work.
If a new round of bids again came in higher than estimated, Chirico said the city could put off the resurfacing until next year.
"Our roads are in great shape," he said. "The worst-case scenario is not that bad."
Council member Doug Krause, however, said city roads are well-maintained because officials stick to a resurfacing schedule. He said he doubts new bids would yield lower prices as summer gas prices increase.
"They're going to have to increase their prices," Krause said. "It's going to cost us more to take care of our streets."
Naperville received two bids for the resurfacing project and R.W. Dunteman's was the lower by $638. The more expensive bid came from K-Five Construction Company, which is based in Lemont but has a plant in Naperville.
The company's in-town plant and closely matched bid sparked some discussion of preference for local vendors during a city council meeting earlier this month. Those discussions will continue separately through the Naperville Development Partnership.
Streets included in the contract with R.W. Dunteman are scheduled to be resurfaced by the end of September.