Elmhurst council approves engineering contract for Route 83 pedestrian bridge amid neighborhood safety and cost concerns

The Elmhurst City Council on Aug. 18 approved a construction engineering services agreement with CivilTech for the Route 83 pedestrian bridge project, authorizing work on the design and IDOT-required documentation for a contract not to exceed $382,346. The project — described by supporters as a safer crossing over busy Route 83 for North Side residents — drew public comment objections focused on a proposed 8-foot side path along Fay Avenue that would run in front of several homes. Two residents said they oppose the side path and warned it would create safety, sight-line and property-value concerns. At a public forum, resident Antonio de Blasio of 540 W. Fay Ave. said the proposed side path would run directly in front of eight to 10 homes, increase speeds downhill to West Avenue and “pose an extreme amount of danger” to driveways and pedestrians. He asked the council to reconsider the city’s roughly $1.3 million contribution and spend the money elsewhere. “You don’t need a bicycle path to run right in front of people’s homes,” de Blasio said. Another speaker, Frank Catanzaro of 556 W. Fe, told the council the Prairie Path comparison used in project materials is “apples and oranges” because the side path would dead-end in a neighborhood and run directly by houses, increasing risk for schoolchildren and older residents who use the sidewalk. Alderman Emily Bastido, Public Works and Building Committee chair, summarized the project as largely grant-funded and intended to create a safer north-side route across Route 83, noting staff altered plans after an open house and resident feedback. Bastido moved to place the engineering services agreement before the council. Alderman Michael Bram said he supports the concept but opposed the project overall because it is a “nice to have” and he is concerned about Elmhurst’s local capital contribution, which he said had grown since the project was first presented. Bram noted the Capital Improvement Fund’s expected contribution had been roughly $736,400 at one point and later estimates put Elmhurst’s share near $1.4 million. The council voted 13 ayes, 1 nay (Alderman Graham), to accept CivilTech’s agreement and authorize the city attorney to prepare documents for council approval. Discussion versus decision: council members debated the overall project cost and local funding; residents’ public comments raised safety, driveway and sight-line concerns tied specifically to the proposed side path along Fay Avenue. The formal action taken was approval of the construction engineering services agreement for the project’s engineering phase; no immediate change to the alignment or side-path design was recorded in the council action. Next steps and funding: Bastido said the bridge project is two-thirds funded by grants and requires additional IDOT documentation that the engineering consultant will prepare. The contract approved covers engineering services only; construction funding and final alignment decisions will be addressed in later steps and other agenda items associated with the project. Sources: public forum comments, the Public Works and Building Committee recommendation, committee chair remarks and the council roll-call vote at the Aug. 18 meeting.