DuPage County details plan to replace 70-year-old highway maintenance building at fairgrounds

DuPage County transportation staff on Wednesday updated the committee on plans to replace the county’s aging highway maintenance building with a new facility on the north end of the DuPage County fairgrounds in Wheaton.

The update came as Director Travio said the existing “140 building” sits on about 8.5 acres, is roughly 58,000 square feet and “is nearly 3 times too small for existing and future needs of the DOT.” Travio told the committee the current structure is approaching 70 years old and is beyond its useful life.

The project will relocate the Division of Transportation’s maintenance operations, fuel island, salt storage and equipment storage to a new consolidated facility adjacent to the county’s East Campus, Travio said. He said the project “maximizes our under roof storage” and will upgrade mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, bring the facility into ADA compliance and include green features such as solar panels and fully contained salt storage.

Why it matters: The move is intended to address capacity and safety concerns at the existing site, maintain continuous winter operations during construction and consolidate administrative and maintenance…