improvements begin
With warmer
weather comes construction and this year will be no exception.
Some six major capital improvement projects are scheduled to
begin this spring, including resurfacing the entire length of
Oak Park Avenue, from North Avenue to Roosevelt Road.
Other projects planned for this
construction season include water and sewer main replacement,
alley reconstruction, street lighting improvements, upgrades to
two of the Village's three water pumping stations,
routine residential street resurfacing, parking lot resurfacing
and sidewalk and curb repairs.
Oak Park Avenue
The complete resurfacing of Oak Park Avenue
will be the largest single project undertaken this year. The
project is scheduled to begin in late August and be
completed in July 2005.
Plans are being made to stage the work to
minimize its impact. Work this year is planned for between
North Avenue and Ontario Street, followed by a winter hiatus.
Construction would then resume the following spring, a schedule
that will mean the Lake Street-Oak Park Avenue and Oak
Park-Eisenhower business districts are not impacted during the
busy holiday shopping season. Business operators will be kept
advised of the project schedule.
The Oak Park Avenue project also includes
curb replacements and new traffic signals connected by fiber
optics, which will allow for better control of traffic along
the entire length of the busy north-south route.
Sewer line repairs along Oak Park Avenue
between Randolph Street and Madison Street are scheduled to
begin in advance of the overall resurfacing project, probably
in June and July.
Alley Improvements
Construction crews also will be focusing on
alley improvements this season as the Village continues on a
multi-year program to upgrade these important property access
routes.
Fourteen segments -- or blocks -- of alleys
are scheduled for complete reconstruction this year. Work will
entail completely removing and replacing old pavement,
installing new sewer lines and pitching the alleys toward the
center in a "V" configuration that will carry water
away from properties, an especially important feature during
heavy rains and snowfalls.
Roosevelt Road Street lighting
New street lighting along Roosevelt Road
also is planned this construction season. Bids now being sought
for the project also ask for prices for adding ornamental
lighting similar to that along Austin Boulevard. If bids prove
cost effective, the ornamental fixtures would be attached to
the main street light poles, but add a functional, decorative
feature that would enhance the sidewalks for pedestrians.
Other Projects
Improved reliability and pressure are the
goals of planned upgrades to the Village's north and
south pumping stations that move Lake Michigan water from
underground reservoirs to the taps of residential and business
properties. Pumps and pipes within the stations will be
replaced and the exteriors rehabbed, the first major repairs to
the structures since the 1960s when the stations were
originally constructed. The Village's central pumping
station, which pumps water from the new Stevenson Park
reservoir, was upgraded in 1996.
In addition to the major capital
improvements, Village contractors also will resurface two miles
of local streets, replace about a mile each of water and sewer
mains and repair gutters, curbs and repair sidewalks throughout
the Village.
Construction Information
As project start dates approach, residents
who live in areas most affected will receive a written alert,
including start times and estimated completion dates, and a
telephone number to call for the latest information. Parking
permit holders affected by construction will be notified prior
to work beginning so that temporary alternate parking
arrangements can be made.
A special construction update telephone
line -- 358.5701 -- will provide regularly updated recorded
messages on the largest projects around the clock. Residents
who call during regular work hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, also can reach an operator for the
latest information on any specific project. In addition,
information on traffic disruptions and alternate travel routes
will be posted on the Village's website, www.oak-park.us, and broadcast on
VOP-TV, Channel 6, the government access cable television
station.
2004 Construction Projects
Street Resurfacing
Clarence Avenue - Harrison to
Jackson
Clinton Avenue - Jackson to Adams
East Avenue - Division to Greenfield
East Avenue - Madison to Randolph
Edmer Avenue - Greenfield to
North Avenue
Elmwoord Avenue - Division to
Greenfield
Euclid Avenue - North Boulevard to
Lake
Grove Avenue - Roosevelt to Filmore
Kenilworth Avenue - Division to
Greenfield
Linden Avenue - Augusta to Division
North Boulevard - Oak Park to Euclid
Oak Park Avenue - Roosevelt to
North Avenue
Superior Street - Marion to Forest
Wenonah Avenue - Roosevelt to
Harvard
Water Main Replacement
Augusta Avenue - Linden to Columbian
Clarence Avenue - Harrison to
Jackson
Edmer Avenue - Berkshire to North
Avenue
Kenilworth Avenue - Division to
Greenfield
Linden Avenue - Augusta to Division
Pleasant Street - Home to Kenilworth
Sewer Main Replacement
Clarence Avenue - Harrison to
Jackson
Edmer Avenue - Greenfield to North
Avenue
Grove Avenue - Roosevelt to Harvard
Oak Park Avenue - Madison to
Randolph
Wenonah - Roosevelt to Harvard
Alley Improvements
Cuyler Avenue (west) - Fillmore to
Harvard
Garfield (south) - Taylor to Lyman
Humphrey Avenue (west) - Madison to
Washington
Linden Avenue (west) - Greenfield to
North Avenue
Lombard Avenue (west) - Harvard to
Garfield
Lyman Avenue (west) - Harvard to
Garfield
Madison Street (north) - Taylor to
Humphrey
North Avenue (south) - Euclid to
Linden
North Avenue (south) - Marion to
Forest
South Boulevard (south) - Wesley to
East
Washington Boulevard (north) - East
to Scoville
Washington Boulevard (north) -
Ridgeland to Cuyler
Washington Boulevard (south) -
Taylor to Humphrey
Lighting Improvements
Roosevelt Road - Harlem to Austin
Parking Lot Improvements
Lot 16 - 913 Lake St.
Lot 25 - Pleasant & Austin
Lot 37 - Roosevelt & Grove
Lot 49 - Harrison & Taylor
Lot 53 - Garfield & East
(Rehm Park/Pool)
Oak Parkers can safely dispose of unwanted,
but usable paint, or take home free paint, at The Great Paint Exchange scheduled for Sat., April 24, at the Public Works
Center, 131 South Blvd. Half-to-full cans of latex paint will
be accepted from 9 - 11 a.m., and then given away from 12:30 -
2:30 p.m. For more information, call 358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us.
