NORTH CENTER — Crews are set to begin resurfacing a segment of Irving Park Road in North Center and Ravenswood next week.
The roadwork is expected to take four months along the mile-long stretch of Irving Park between the North Branch of the Chicago River and Ravenswood Avenue.
“The resurfacing portion, it’s full width from gutter to gutter,” said Eric Kohl, an engineer from Wight & Company, which is consulting with the Chicago Department of Transportation on the project.
Traffic will be limited when necessary to one lane in either direction. Side streets will remain accessible, Kohl said.
Parking will be restricted periodically along Irving Park Road during construction between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on construction days. Crews are expected to work on the project between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and typically won’t work on weekends.
“But if it’s a need and a push to get the project done, there are times when [weekend construction] has happened,” Kohl said. “But with these projects typically weekend work is limited to none.”
The first month of construction will focus on replacing concrete curbs and ADA ramps. Businesses that will be impacted when crews are working on the sidewalk will be notified ahead of time.
After curbs are in place, the road’s asphalt will be removed and replaced over a two-week period. Crews will then spend about a month striping the street and installing new crosswalks and bus pads.
As a candidate and since getting elected, Ald. Matt Martin (47th) has championed maintaining and expanding infrastructure for bikes and pedestrian spaces in the ward.
“It’s a pretty significant project, but one that I hope you’ll all agree is long overdue,” Josh Mark, Martin’s director of development and infrastructure, said. “Our office is particularly excited with the investment of safety improvements that will be included.”
Martin’s office worked with the transportation department to include about 17 curb extensions that jut into the street, creating shorter crosswalks for pedestrians. Those will be distributed along Irving Park Road in a targeted way to maximize pedestrian safety, including around Revere Park and the Irving Park Brown Line stop, he said.
The road resurfacing project is starting as work to replace the 100-year-old Irving Park bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River is finishing up, Mark said.
“I spoke to the contractor [Monday morning] and he believes the the entirety of the project should be completed and back open around Labor Day,” Mark said. “They’re about to be in a position to open the bike trail under the Irving Park bridge. All they have left is some sidewalk work and installing the lighting.”
Once the bike trail under the bridge is open, it’ll be the latest addition to the city’s 312 RiverRun, a path that stretches for nearly two miles on the Chicago River between Belmont to Montrose avenues.
To watch a presentation about the upcoming work on Irving Park Road click here. For more information on upcoming road construction, visit the Chicago Department of Transportation’s interactive map at chistreetwork.chicago.gov.
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