Construction Nears Completion on Grove, Carpenter Streets

Workers in Downers Grove are expected to close out the 2012 construction season this week with the completion of the Grove Street reconstruction project.

The project, which involves the installation of permeable pavers on Grove Street between Main and Carpenter streets, was delayed for nearly six weeks this fall after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency implemented stricter regulations for excavating soil.

Despite the hiccup, construction is still expected to wrap up in the coming days, with landscaping scheduled for spring 2013, according to village officials. 

Grove Street—located just west of downtown Downers Grove—is expected to re-open "any day now," according to Andy Sikich, assistant director of public works for engineering.

The 200-foot stretch of Carpenter Street included in the project was completed last week, he said.

"The project more or less started six weeks late," Sikich said. "Considering that, we were able to make up some time and finish just after Thanksgiving, which is generally when construction stops for the season."

Village officials first approved the Grove Street project in July, citing the severe deterioration of the pavement between Carpenter and Main streets. The plan was to replace the existing asphalt with permeable pavers and incorporate several water quality features that will help clean stormwater runoff from the area before it is discharged into St. Joseph's Creek.

The project included the removal of the existing pavement, storm sewer, water main, curb and gutters, followed by the installation of the pavers, officials said.

Grove Street is the first road in Downers Grove to be resurfaced with permeable pavers, which have gaps that reduce water runoff and flooding. Although pavers typically increase construction costs by nearly 60 percent, village officials expect the pavers to have a longer life cycle and offer several environmental benefits.

"Permeable pavers were identified as a good option for this project because we knew the area would benefit from their water quality features," Sikich said. "We did incur a higher upfront cost, but we expect to recoup that through the life of the pavers and the benefit of the water features."

On Aug. 27, the Illinois EPA implemented new Clean Construction Demolition Debris regulations that changed the way soil is classified for disposal in CCDD facilities, Sikich said. The change created the need for additional testing, and reduced the number of facilities that accept the material.

In addition to delaying construction, the new regulations drove up the cost of the project to just over $1 million, officials said.

The initial contract with V3 Construction Group of Woodridge was approved in July for $970,000. The project was expected to finish under budget before V3 requested an additional $22,478 to offset the cost of transporting soil for disposal. The council approved the extra cost Oct. 16, adding an additional 20 percent for contingencies.

With the extra funding approved, the project is now expected to finish $10,852 over budget. Because several projects in the Capital Projects Fund came in under budget, the village had sufficient authority to cover the change, officials said.

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