Purpose and Need
DuPage County through cooperation with the Village of Downers Grove and the Illinois Department of Transportation is rehabilitating 55th Street (County Highway 35) from Dunham Road to Clarendon Hills Road. Once completed the project will improve the safety and mobility of pedestrians and traffic throughout the corridor with particular focus the intersections at Main Street, Fairview Avenue and Dunham Rd/Maple Ave. In addition, roadway resurfacing and water main repairs are needed to maintain the existing infrastructure in a state of good repair. The project accomplishes this through the following major project components:
- Turn lane channelization at the intersections of 55th Street at Main Street and 55th Street at Fairview Avenue
- Traffic signal modernization/replacement including pedestrian signals at the intersections of 55th Street at Main Street and 55th Street at Fairview Avenue
- Traffic signal interconnection from the Dunham Road to Clarendon Hills Road to coordinate signal timing between intersections
- Traffic signal upgrades at the intersection of 55th at Dunham Road/Maple Ave
- New sidewalk and sidewalk replacements including ADA compliant curb ramps at various locations throughout the corridor
- Water main improvement/replacement at various locations between Main Street and Fairview Avenue
- Roadway resurfacing between Dunham Road and Williams Street
Other improvements include storm sewer improvements, retaining wall reconstruction, curb and gutter replacement, driveway repairs and landscape restoration.
Funding
The project is mostly funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The remaining funding comes from local DuPage County and Village of Downers Grove funding.
Impacts to Traffic
To complete this project lane closures are required. Prestage utility relocation and other preliminary work such as temporary traffic signal installation, tree removal and installation of erosion control measures and various removal work will be done under daily and short term signal lane closures.
The majority of the construction work will be constructed in stages with traffic reduced to one (1) lane in each direction on 55th Street and the major side streets. Traffic will be shifted to one side of the road while work takes place on the other. Through much of the project a center turn lane will be maintained.
Access to driveways will be maintained throughout the project. However, when work is proceeding at a given driveway access may be temporarily be restricted. Residents will be given notice prior to any access restrictions so that accommodations can be made. If anyone has special access needs, please contact the Engineer at the number below.
Plans and Exhibits
Plans, Specifications and Bidding Information are available on the IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) website. See links below. (Item 078 on the November 9, 2018 letting. Contract No. 61E06)
- Plans, Specifications and Addenda:
- Bidding Information:
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Map Key:
Limits of Widening
Limits of Resurfacing
Start Date: Work on the 55th Street roadway contract began March 15, 2019. Utility relocations began March 11, 2019.
Completion Date: The contract allows 110 working days to complete the work. Due to weather and utility work, a significant portion of the work has extended into the 2020. All work is anticipate to be complete in the fall of 2020.
Utility Relocation Work: Various utility relocation work is required as part of this project. This work is the responsibility of the individual utility companies. Utilities are located with the Right-of-Way by permit.
Construction Status:
- Traffic control – From Main Street to east of Fairview, the EB outside lane is closed. As weather allows for placement of temporary striping, a three lane configuration will be established. This will included one (1) lane in each direction with a center turn lane.
- Retaining wall work – Retaining wall construction resumes on the south side of 55th Street, east of Webster St and west of Fairview Ave. this work is expected to continue through April.
- Storm Sewer – Storm sewer work has begun at the intersection of 55th St. and Fairview Ave. This work is primarily on the east side of Fairview Ave. and the south side of 55th Street, east of Fairview.
- Water main – There are no water service shut downs scheduled at this time. Water main work will resume at 55th St and Fairview later this spring or summer.
- Utilities – Nicor relocation work will resume in April on the south side of 55th St. from west of Main St. to Washington St. Other utility work has been substantially complete.
- Upcoming work:
- When retaining wall and underground work progresses sufficiently later this spring, roadway widening and traffic signal work on the south side of 55th St at Fairview Ave will begin.
- Following Nicor relocations near Main St, roadway widening and traffic signal work on the south side of 55th St at Main St will begin.
- Storm sewer and water main work at 55th and Main Street are mostly complete. Only minimal storm sewer work remains.
- Roadway widening is complete on the north side of 55th St. at Main St and on Main Street, north of 55th St.
- Concrete curb and gutter replacements and sidewalk/ADA ramp construction is substantially complete through the resurfacing limits, project wide.
- Traffic signal work is complete at the intersection of 55th St. and Maple Ave/Dunham Rd.
- Water main work was completed, west of Fairview Avenue.
- Utility relocations with the exception of portions of gas main near Main St are substantially complete.
Contractor
R.W. Dunteman Company
600 S. Lombard Road
Addison, IL 60101
P. O. Box 1129
Addison, IL 60101
(630) 953-1500
Design Engineer
Civiltech Engineering, Inc.
Itasca, IL
Resident Engineer
Alan Hasler
H.W. Lochner, Inc.
Lisle, IL
(630) 679-1670
55thstreetinfo@hwlochner.com
Project Engineer
Kent Kuper, P.E. (DuPage County)
(630) 407-6900
Contractor
R.W. Dunteman Company
600 S. Lombard Road
Addison, IL 60101
P. O. Box 1129
Addison, IL 60101
(630) 953-1500
Design Engineer
Civiltech Engineering, Inc.
Itasca, IL
Resident Engineer
Alan Hasler
H.W. Lochner, Inc.
Lisle, IL
(630) 679-1670
55thstreetinfo@hwlochner.com
Project Engineer
Kent Kuper, P.E. (DuPage County)
(630) 407-6900
Links
DuPage County Division of Transportation: https://www.dupageco.org/dot/
Downers Grove Public Works: http://www.downers.us/govt/departments/public-works/
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT): http://www.idot.illinois.gov/index