Coal City outlines $219,000 in street repairs

Each year the village of Coal City outlines a plan to improve its street infrastructure, and this construction season the priority is alleys, intersections and roadways.
Village administrator Matt Fritz reports the budgetary allotment for the work is $200,000, however the proposal currently before the Village Board comes with an estimated cost of just over $219,000.
Village engineer Ryan Hansen noted the estimated costs come with 15% in contingencies and believes the final costs can be brought within budget.
Streets identified for improvement are included on a list drafted by the engineer based on input from the Streets and Alley’s Committee.
The list currently includes 15 areas targeted for improvement, and all call for surface removal and replacement.
Streets on the list include Illinois Street from Maple south to the Coal City Redi-Mix access, at a proposed cost of $38,889, Kankakee Street from Park Street to Chestnut Street estimated at $17,668 and Fox Street from Illinois Street to Mazon Street at a cost of $32,115.
Also, Second Avenue from Second Street to North Street at a cost of $16,029, Irving Street from North to Fourth Street at a proposed cost of $20,444, Third Street between Mary Street and DeWitt Place at $27,490 and Mazon Street from Chestnut to the railroad crossing estimated at $2,939.
Additionally, the plan calls for improvements at the intersections of Covey Lane and Nicobe Drive at a cost of $11,455, Fifth Avenue at Second Street costing $1,022, Fifth Avenue at First Street with a price tag of $2,057 and DesPlaines Street west of Mazon Street at a preliminary cost of $1,039.
Town officials have also been talking for some time about the need to make improvements to various alleyways. Included in the plan is $49,915 in improvements to the alleys that run behind Village Hall, between Gordon Avenue and Oak Street, between Mary Street and DeWitt Place and Oak and Willow streets.
One area the Streets and Alleys Committee had looked at for improvement was Reed Road from South Broadway west to Carbon Hill Road, but the work was left off the list.
Hansen said the extent of the repairs needed on Reed Road would push the village beyond the financial resources that are available for this year.
“So I am going to try and figure out some options to hopefully keep that road usable until we can come up with a better plan to reconstruct it in the long term,” Hansen told the mayor and trustees.
In order to get the work done and within budget, Fritz informed the board local contractor D Construction has indicated it would extend its pricing from the South Broadway project.
“Which is a pretty good deal,” the administrator said.
In order to move forward with D Construction completing the work at is 2019 price trustees must waive the competitive bidding process, and Fritz said that is something the board is slated to take action on when it meets again on April 22.