Machesney Park board: resurfacing of Illinois 251 to begin; median and ADA work planned

Machesney Park Village Engineer Chris Dobkins told the board the village has an agreement with a contractor to resurface Illinois 251 between Windsor and Melbourne and that preliminary work on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) features will begin next week.

Dobkins said the village expects to put the median improvements out to bid by the end of April and that a separate agency is planning to open proposals on June 25 with work likely to begin in August. "So there will be plenty of orange barrels out on 251 this summer," he said, adding that the village's portion of the ADA work is the village's responsibility.

The resurfacing follows an earlier agreement the village entered into to facilitate the project; Dobkins did not name the contract partner beyond the description used in his report. He said the median work is a separate element scheduled for later this season and that motorists should expect temporary traffic controls while crews work.

The engineer also thanked the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department for a recent rapid response to a minor office incident, saying staff felt "very much at ease" after the department's assistance.

Officials did not set a firm completion date for the overall resurfacing project and did not provide a contractor start date beyond the week-of timeframe cited for ADA work. The board did not vote on any contracts or appropriations related to the resurfacing at the April 7 meeting; Dobkins presented the schedule as an information item during the village engineer's report.

The village clerk said more detailed project notices will be posted to the village website and on-board signage before major traffic changes begin.