Lake Forest officials say Deerpath, Bank Lane work still on track for October despite delays

Superintendent of Engineering Byron Coutts told the Lake Forest City Council on Aug. 4 that the Deerpath streetscape and Bank Lane construction projects are experiencing short delays but remain on track for contract completion in October. Coutts said utility conflicts, long lead times for specialty materials and sequencing challenges have slowed progress. "There is a natural ebb and flow to any construction project," he said, adding that the contractor and consultant remain "confident ... that we're still gonna hit the dates at the October." He also noted that liquidated damages are written into the contracts if a contractor fails to meet deadlines. The projects will cause a scheduled closure on the west end of Deerpath from Aug. 7 to about Aug. 24 for storm sewer work and replacement of crosswalks; the detour will route traffic via Illinois Street, Green Bay Road and Westminster Avenue, Coutts said. He said the city will shift pedestrian traffic to the south sidewalk and then remove and pour the north sidewalk in the coming week or two. Coutts described similar constraints on Bank Lane where dense underground utilities have required on-the-spot design changes and caused sequencing delays, and said the corridor will ultimately be rebuilt with concrete and brick sidewalks. He said some disruptive work on Bank Lane has been scheduled at night but that much of the near-term work is daytime masonry and concrete base pours. Alderman Matthew Powers asked whether the city should tell residents to expect late-October completion rather than mid-month, saying communications should avoid surprises. "It'd be great to get more frequent email communication out to [businesses] in case there's any surprises," Powers said. Coutts confirmed both contracts list October as the completion month and said the city would attempt to finish earlier if possible. Alderman Clemens and Alderman Lavert raised business-access concerns. Coutts said 22 businesses are eligible for a business-grant program tied to the project and that staff have proactively contacted them; three grant applications had been submitted as of his update. He also said crews will provide ramped access to business entrances where needed. Coutts outlined other outreach steps: a community construction event on Aug. 7 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Market Square and daily meetings with the contractor and consultant to manage schedule issues. He said the city is coordinating detours with nearby schools so start of the school year is not disrupted. The council did not take formal action on the construction updates; Coutts answered questions and staff reiterated they are monitoring schedule and communications to businesses and residents.