Construction to Begin on Hawthorne Boulevard

During Monday's village board meeting, trustees approved construction and engineering bids to begin improve work on the east-west corridor of Glen Ellyn's Hawthorne Boulevard.

The more than $4 million project will give the one-mile corridor a facelift by adding new concrete, driveway approaches to some homes and curbs, while more extensive work will be done underground when crews replace and upgrade storm, sanitary sewers and new water mains.    

As part of the Glen Ellyn's village-wide Long-Term Roadway Improvements Program, the mile-stretch of roadway was supposed to be widened to at least 25 feet but many . Although the capital improvements commission voted in favor of widening the road by 12 inches, from 21 to 22 feet, the village board voted against the and voted to keep the width as is, which led to one commissioner's resignation. 

Even though the neighbors won the diameter battle, the project -- set to begin before school lets out -- could be a major headache for drivers. Hawthorne connects on the west and on the east, all while intersecting three of Glen Ellyn's major thoroughfares; Western Avenue, Kenilworth Avenue, and Main Street.

"How bad are these intersections going to be?" asked Carl Henninger, village trustee.

Village Engineer Bob Minix said the "least desirable" portion of the project would be near Kenilworth Avenue because that section will experience the most construction. Although no major underground work will be done near Main Street, Minix said the Main Street area will need little repair work and should be open a majority of the time. The only other trouble spot will be near Park Boulevard since that section will receive "full reconstruction."

The village is hoping to have this work completed by the start of the 2012-2013 school year, but a more realistic date might by mid-October, according to village documents.  

R.W. Dunteman Company of Adison was awarded one of the improvements contracts totalling  $4,085,000, which includes a 5 percent contingency. Civiltech Engineering of Itasca was awarded a construction engineering services contract for $420,000, which includes a 5 percent contingency. Previously, Engineering Resources Associates produced the final plans and contracts documents, approved by the village board in April, for $263,000. Additional work, totalling $25,000, was provided during the detailed design stage, according to village documents.