Coal City looking to fast track road improvements

By: 
Ann Gill
Editor

As the road construction season approaches, the village of Coal City is looking to fast track its plan to re-pave a section of South Broadway.
    Plans call for a mill and overlay of the street from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing south through Spring Road, and town officials hope the work can be completed this year.
    The project is being funded in part by a federal transportation dollars, so before the village can move forward with engineering and construction the project has to be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and certain documents must be signed.
    Village engineer Ryan Hanson, of Chamlin & Associates, informed the board last week that the project’s construction engineering agreement, as well as local agency agreement had been in the state’s hands for review for four months.
    After an initial review by the state agency, the village has to adopt the agreements and then send them back to Springfield.
    “In order to get this matter back to IDOT, the board must pass a resolution pledging its support to pay the 20 percent local match,” village administrator Matt Fritz told the board.
    Once the state receives the engineering agreement  it grants approval to start the design phase which leads to bidding and construction of the project that is estimated to cost $432,000.
    Eighty percent of the  engineering and construction cost will be funded through federal transportation dollars administered by the Will County Governmental League. The remaining 20 percent, roughly $86,400, will be paid by the village.  Fritz indicated proceeds from the tornado bonds can be utilized to cover the local match.
    When the Village Board met on March 8 it adopted a resolution confirming it has the funds available to cover the required local match for engineering.
    Hansen informed the board that it will also be required to adopt a second agreement that covers the construction costs, this will come prior to the project going out for bid.
    “It’s (IDOT’s) way of ensuring the local agency knows it has skin in the game and will pay its portion of the cost,” Hansen said of the agreements.
    The engineer indicated the construction plans have to be in the state’s hands a couple of months prior to the bids being released.
    Coal City Mayor Terry Halliday hopes the project keeps moving forward and can fall within the upcoming construction season.
    “We’re gonna keep moving ahead on this,” Hansen said.