Chicago: Mayor Emanuel Joins CDOT and Alderman Tabares for Kickoff of 2019 Paving Season on the Southwest Side

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today launched the 2019 Paving Season on Archer Avenue on the Southwest Side with Alderman Silvana Tabares (23^rd Ward) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). Following a harsh winter that was marked by extreme temperature swings, Mayor Emanuel has directed CDOT and the Department of Water Management (DWM) to set an aggressive goal of repaving 315 miles of City streets and alleys, up from 2018's total of 310 miles. Under Mayor Emanuel's Building a New Chicago Program, City forces and utility companies have paved a total of 2,165 miles of streets and alleys since 2011, almost half the total of the City's 4,600 miles of streets. View the map.

"We've made unprecedented investments in repaving streets in every corner of Chicago since 2011, but we are not easing up," Mayor Emanuel said. "After a harsh winter, the City of Chicago will be working aggressively to restore damaged roads."

City agencies have identified the first 100 miles of residential and arterial paving locations for the 2019 construction season. The nearly mile long stretch of Archer, from Nottingham Avenue to Narragansett Avenue, will be fully resurfaced through a federally-funded project. The scope of work also includes new CTA bus pads, new pavement markings with thermoplastic, high-visibility striping and the reconstruction of sidewalk crossings to meet ADA standards.

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"After a very tough winter, CDOT is pleased to be kicking off the new construction season," CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said. "Thanks to the strong commitment of Mayor Emanuel for investing in our infrastructure through the Building a New Chicago Program, we are steadily improving the condition of roads in every part of the City."

The repaving work will be done by the CDOT and DWM, along with sister agencies and utility companies that pave roads after completing utility improvements such as better gas, electric, and telecommunications services and water and sewer upgrades.

In addition to the major arterial roadways CDOT plans to resurface this year, it has also identified residential streets and alleys for resurfacing this construction season. The Department is working with Aldermen to determine the best locations for resurfacing additional residential streets in 2019.

In response to the harsh winter season, the Mayor directed CDOT to assign more crews to pothole patching this winter. As a result, at maximum strength, the City had as many as 40 pothole patching crews deployed each day, up from the typical number of 30 crews.

This year the City made it easier to report a pothole or request other services with the new, modernized 311 City Services system. Residents can use the new CHI 311 web portal at 311.Chicago.gov, or the new Mobile App to report potholes and track the progress of repairs. And of course, they can still simply call 311.

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The following are some of the main arterial routes slated for resurfacing by CDOT so far in 2019:

Sheridan Rd. – from Devon Ave. to Touhy Ave. (1 mile) Broadway – Gunnison St. to Foster Ave. (.65 miles) Foster Ave. – East River Rd. to Harlem Ave. (2 miles) Dearborn St. – Madison St. to Polk St. (.65 miles) Kedzie Ave. – Jackson Ave. to Ogden Ave. (1.35 miles) Austin Blvd. – Lake St. to North Ave. (1.45 miles) 31^st St. – Lawndale Ave. to Western Ave. (1.7 miles) 51^st St. – Millard Ave. to Kedzie Ave. (.57 miles) Lafayette Ave. – Marquette Rd. to 79^th St. (1.50 miles) 119^th St – Ashland Ave. to Halsted St. (1 mile)

After working late into fall to install new water and sewer pipes, DWM plans to begin its spring paving as early as possible. These are some of the locations slated, among the 45 miles ready to be paved this spring:

Neva Ave. – Grand Ave. to Armitage (.45 miles) Commercial – 95^th St. to 100^th St. (.65 miles) Long, Cortez, Iowa – Division/Central, Long (1 mile)

CDOT urges the driving public to be on the lookout for street resurfacing crews and pothole patching crews as they're driving around the City. If drivers encounter a crew at work, they are urged to slow down and keep the crews safe.

To ensure the City is making the most efficient use of resources possible, it has improved coordination on infrastructure projects. Through CDOT's Project Coordination Office, City infrastructure departments and utilities have worked together to reduce the amount of project conflicts that would require opening up a street more than once. These coordination efforts have led to a savings of $153 million since 2012.

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