Accelerated State Funds Allow Cook County to Add More Road, Bridge Projects to Summer Repair Schedule

Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways has unveiled additional projects to be constructed during 2014. The list, which will continue to be updated with additional items in the coming weeks, includes street resurfacing and rehabilitation, and bridge repairs throughout various geographic areas of the County. These additional projects are being funded with the $16.7 million advance in state money awarded recently to Cook County by Gov. Patrick Quinn and is in addition to the County’s larger road and bridge construction program announced in April. “The construction season is now in full swing, and these state funds will allow us to accelerate some of the projects we had previously identified for work at a later time,” said John Yonan, Superintendent of the County’s Transportation and Highway Department. “While this initial group of projects target suburban locations, we also are working with Commissioners and their aldermen in the City of Chicago to identify needs in their wards that we can address with this funding.” The updated list includes more than $850,000 in resurfacing projects, more than $1.3 million in pavement rehabilitation projects, and more than $200,000 in bridge repairs. Additional resurfacing projects include: Techny Road in Northbrook, Sanders to Pfingsten; Willow Road, Howard County/Lancaster Avenue to Schoenbeck Road, Arlington Heights; Euclid Avenue, Meacham Road to Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows; 139th Street, Coopers Grove Road to Harrison Street, Blue Island. Additional pavement rehabilitation projects include: Joe Orr Road at State Street, Chicago Heights; Winnetka Road at West Frontage Road, Northfield; Lake Cook Road at Skokie Road, Northbrook; Kedzie Ave, 135th Street to 139th Street. Additional bridge repairs include: Cottage Grove at North Creek, within the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in April announced the initial 2014 road and bridge menu, which will cost an estimated $38 million for projects in 24 Cook County communities and cover approximately 55 lane miles of roadway. These additional projects will involve work on another 12 lane miles. The County’s highway department, now the Department of Transportation and Highways, was established in 1913 with one mile of concrete road and two employees — the superintendent and his secretary. It was created by the State of Illinois to “pull the state out of the mud” and “build a system of hard roads for the state.” Today, the Department oversees 557 miles of roads and highways, 134 bridges, 351 traffic signals and seven pumping stations throughout Cook County.