CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Starting Tuesday, Jefferson Avenue will be blocked off between Main and Webster streets as the city of Naperville works to improve streets, sidewalks and utilities.
“Any cars that would have traveled down that street will end up having to utilize the posted detour to get around,” said city engineer Bill Novak. “Additionally, there will be no on street parking in that block, so those 22 parking spaces on that block will not be available.
Pedestrians will, however, be able to access all of the storefronts throughout construction.
Novak said he expects the first phase of the downtown streetscape construction to last through mid-May as the city replaces water mains, other utilities and rebuilds the road, parking spaces and all the streetscape.
He told WBBM Newsradio parts of the infrastructure are very outdated.
“Our underground water mains, the one on Main Street, is over 100 years old and the one on Jefferson isn't that much younger,” he said. “The streetscape that's out there on the east side of Main Street and the north side of Jefferson, it's 40 years old.”
Related
The second phase includes work along Main Street between Jackson and Jefferson avenues from mid-May to the second half of July with the entire project wrapping up in August.
Novak admitted the construction will be an inconvenience and could potentially hurt businesses, but compared the repairs to knee surgery.
“It's one of those things that you're like, ‘oh man, I don't wanna do it because it's gonna be such a hassle,’ and it's painful when you do it, but then afterwards, you're like, ‘I should have done this earlier,’” he said.
The Downtown Naperville Alliance is also working closely with businesses to drive shoppers to their stores during the construction project.
Related
