Getting through downtown Riverside will get a little tougher in another week or so, when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s sewer lining project moves from Forest Avenue into the heart of the village.
In mid-May the MWRD is expected to begin Phase II of its sewer lining operation, moving to Longcommon and Riverside Roads and shutting down the northbound lanes on each street between East Burlington Street and East Quincy Street.
Forest Avenue, with the exception of the right-turn lane at First Avenue, will reopen to two-way traffic as work moves east.
Unlike Forest Avenue, which was converted to one-way traffic while work progressed, Longcommon/Riverside in the downtown area will remain two-way, with one lane of traffic in each direction on the west side of the roadway.
The village is suggesting avoiding the downtown area by following detour signs to Cowley Road, the closest grade crossing to the Longcommon/Riverside crossing downtown.
Riverside Public Works Director Edward Bailey said he wasn’t sure exactly how long work would disrupt the main north/south route in the downtown area, but said it would be a minimum of three weeks.
“But it will depend upon work progress and delays such as substantial rains, equipment breakdowns, etc., which cause the project to be suspended,” Bailey said in an email.
Bailey said the general contractor, Kenny Construction, will send workers into the intercepting sewer line in the downtown area prior to the sewer lining to patch leaks in the existing 7-foot diameter pipe, which is 90 years old. Getting those leaks patched will speed up the curing of the geopolymer material being used to line the old pipe, Bailey said.
At the same time the downtown traffic lanes are restricted, MWRD will make Riverside Road one way southbound/eastbound between Olmsted and Gage roads. Northbound motorists are being asked to follow detour signs to Herbert Road.
Later in the summer, the one-way restriction will extend to Blackhawk Road, and northbound traffic will be detoured to Delaplaine Road.
This phase of the MWRD project in Riverside will terminate at Miller Road. Phase II work is scheduled to last until November 2018.
Work hours in the construction area typically will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., though some night and weekend hours are possible. Trucks carrying special equipment necessary for the geopolymer curing process will operate overnight. It takes about five days for the geopolymer material to cure.
Brookfield work starts in June
Meanwhile, sewer lining will begin to affect streets in the Hollywood section of Brookfield once school is out for the summer, probably in mid-June, and will continue for four to six weeks, depending on weather.
“The weather and unforeseen damage to the pipes decide the actual calendar duration of the proposed work,” said David Yunis, operations manager for Kenny Construction.
The work in Brookfield will be a bit different than in Riverside. While workers will go into the 42-by-50 inch pipes to patch them first, the pipes will be lined with a cured-in-place liner, similar to the work being done on First Avenue. The pipes in Riverside are being lined with a spray-on geopolymer material.
But just as in Riverside, there will still be some disruptions to traffic, particularly on Washington Avenue between Golf Road and Salt Creek.
After sewer lining and manhole rehabilitation starts this summer along Washington Avenue, traffic will be closed to through traffic between Arden Avenue and Golf Road. Flaggers will be on hand to assist with local traffic.
According to a map provided by Kenny Construction, westbound traffic will be detoured north on Hollywood Avenue to Rockefeller Avenue and then south on Arden back to Washington. Eastbound traffic will be diverted south on Arden Avenue to Parkview Avenue and then east through the neighborhood to Woodside and then back to Ridgewood Road.
No lane reductions or closures are planned for Ridgewood Road in front of Riverside-Brookfield High School.
Pace Bus Route 304 will be rerouted and will follow the same detour scheme used last fall when Washington Avenue was closed due to the construction of the Washington Avenue/Forest Avenue pump station.
Sewer lining work will also affect traffic on Arden Avenue between Brookfield Avenue and the Brookfield Zoo property. There will also be some sewer relining work along Brookfield Avenue from Arden Avenue to Salt Creek.
Village Engineer Derek Treichel said he does not expect the MWRD work to affect the village’s road improvement project this summer on Arden Avenue between Brookfield and Washington avenues.
Road reconstruction on Arden Avenue is expected to begin after July 4.
Sewer work along the Arden Avenue right-of-way will extend south of the railroad tracks, terminating in the vicinity of Southview Avenue/Salt Creek.
“Final details of the plan will be announced at least two weeks before we start,” Yunis said.
