63rd Street getting a facelift

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Quinn hails federally funded resurfacing project

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By Tim Hadac

The old joke about there being not four seasons, but just two in Chicago each year—winter and construction—was apparent late last week as heavy equipment arrived in Clearing.

As 13^th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn and other city officials gathered for an outdoor press conference at 63^rd and Narragansett on the morning of Thursday, May 16, one piece of equipment (called a cold planer) chewed up asphalt and spat it into a nearby dump truck.

“Residents have been vocal about the poor condition of 63^rd Street, and I want to thank them personally for their patience,” Quinn said in brief remarks at the press conference. “The end result is always worth the wait.”

He was joined by Chicago Department of Transportation and Chicago Department of Water Management officials to herald the start of the 2024 paving season, as the first steps of the repaving efforts – known as milling operations – are underway in Chicago neighborhoods. CDOT is targeting 150 miles of arterial and residential street resurfacing this year.

The work that served as Quinn’s backdrop is a $1.4 million, federally funded resurfacing project on 63rd Street between Harlem and Melvina. In addition to roadway resurfacing, the 1.25-mile project will repair utility trenches, address standing water issues and enhance pedestrian safety, officials said. Upgrades include curb extensions, new signage and pavement markings that will increase the visibility of people crossing the street, creating a safer and more comfortable corridor for people walking and taking transit.

“It was important that we place the focus on pedestrian safety for this project,” Quinn said. “Too many of our streets have deteriorated and become dangerous for pedestrians to navigate.”

Flanked by city officials and clearing residents, 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn leads a Thursday morning press conference to announce resurfacing fork on 63rd Street. –Greater Southwest News-Herald photo by Steve Neuhaus

Quinn said work on 63^rd Street is expected to be done by early July.

The alderman also said Central Avenue will be resurfaced later this year, from 57^th to 65^th Street.

The 63^rd Street project in Clearing is the first of nearly 3.75 miles of 63rd Street scheduled for resurfacing between Harlem Avenue and Calumet Avenue this year. Other upcoming resurfacing projects on major arterial streets include:

• Kedzie Avenue from 51st Street to 63rd Street (1.5 miles)
• Addison Street from Octiavia Street to Luna Avenue (2.25 miles)
• Division Street from California to Kedzie (.5 miles)
• Homan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Chicago Avenue (2 miles)
• Taylor Street from Western Avenue to Racine Avenue (1.25 miles)
• Western Avenue from Belmont Avenue to Foster Avenue (2.5 miles)

“The City of Chicago is hitting the ground running this construction season and residents will start to see paving projects happening throughout the city,” said CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney. “These investments are critical to not only maintain our infrastructure, but also for creating a safe, accessible, and well-maintained transportation system. We are coordinating closely across departments and agencies to minimize disruptions and efficiently deliver improvements to all Chicago communities.”

City of Chicago infrastructure departments work closely together and with utilities to efficiently manage projects like repaving and limit the impact they have on residents, officials claimed.

“We prioritize coordination with other utilities in order to minimize disruption and save money for our residents, said DWM Commissioner Randy Conner. “DWM is committed to identifying efficiencies on all of our projects.”

Through CDOT’s Project Coordination Office, City infrastructure departments and utilities have worked together to reduce the amount of project conflicts that would require opening up a street more than once. Last year this coordination saved the City an estimated $20 million by reducing materials wasted due to duplication, officials added. This was the result of the review and coordination of more than 10,000 projects and permits spread across over 800 coordination corridors. The Project Coordination Office holds weekly meetings with utility stakeholders, designed to collaborate and discuss coordination opportunities.