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Urban Planning Thu Aug 28 2014
State Street Resurfacing to Be Completed in Time for the Marathon
Looking North on State Street from Randolph. Photo credit: Becky Schultz
On Wednesday morning, the Chicago Loop Alliance and the Office of 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly held a community meeting to provide Loop stakeholders, business owners, and residents with logistics for the Chicago Department of Transportation's (CDOT) resurfacing of State Street -- the first since the mall removal and renovation in 1997.
With a goal completion date of Oct. 10 (just in time for the Chicago Marathon), overnight grinding could begin as soon as Sept. 8 with re-paving to begin on Sept. 22. The resurfacing (grinding, paving and re-striping) will stretch from Wacker to Van Buren.
Questions were directed towards Dan Burke, Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer of CDOT, Jim Dillon, General Superintendent of Bigane Paving Company, and Martin Stern, Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Loop Alliance. While State Street residents expressed concern for overnight grinding and disruptive noise, business owners worried about potential sidewalk barriers and pedestrian disturbances.
Dan Burke assured residents that while he understands some are more sensitive to noise than others, the grinding won't be any louder than the numerous other construction projects and utility work done in the Loop on a regular basis. Jim Dillion confirmed that there wouldn't be any sidewalk work or closures, and a minimum of one lane in each direction of traffic will be open at all times. CTA buses will share the lane with cars.
Looking forward, there are plans for a concrete bus pad to be installed in the southbound lane at Washington, protecting the street from bus fumes and weight that eventually leads to potholes. The bus pad will likely be installed after the Marathon.
As with any urban construction project, many elements (including grinding and paving dates) are subject to change. The Office of the 42nd Ward and the Chicago Loop Alliance promise to keep stakeholders informed as the project progresses.
While Dillion warned, "I cannot promise you that you won't have dust. There will be dust," Stern assured, "We're going to have a great looking street that will benefit us for a long time."
