March 2026
Village Kick’s Off Another Busy Year of Street and Infrastructure Improvement Projects
Another busy construction season lies ahead as we move into spring and summer. We will begin new street and infrastructure improvement projects and finish projects that were started last year. We will also hold public meetings to discuss the design phase of projects that will benefit from community input. We will post construction updates, lane closures, and public meeting notices on our Village website and Facebook page.
2026 Infrastructure Improvement Projects
George Street (from Grand Avenue to Franklin Avenue) will receive a full roadway reconstruction and watermain improvements. Street resurfacing is planned for Medill Avenue, Belden Avenue, and streets west of River Road, including Maple Street, Ashland Avenue, Walnut Avenue, and Exchange Avenue. A new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of George Street and Grand Avenue this year to reduce congestion and improve safety.
Last year the Robinson Road subdivision received new watermains and lead service line replacements, which caused an unexpected project delay. This spring the project will be completed with the resurfacing of Robinson Road and landscaping restoration. Roadway resurfacing will take place this spring on Washington Street, from Belmont Avenue to King Street. Sewer mains were installed in 2025 to improve stormwater management and new rain gardens will be added, and trees will be planted this spring. Stormwater improvements on Crown Road will include storm sewer upgrades and construction of an underground stormwater system. A park will be constructed above the stormwater system at Houston Street and Crown Road. These improvements will address flooding concerns on Crown Road during heavy rainfall events, while also providing a new community green space.
In 2025, Franklin Avenue from Mannheim Bridge to Wolf Road was widened from twolanes into a modern five-lane industrial avenue. Construction is now underway to connect Franklin Avenue to the new Tollway interchange planned east of County Line Road. Last year the Village initiated work on the Grand Avenue Climate Resiliency Project. The project supports improvements to reduce flooding, improve pedestrian access and traffic safety, and beautify the corridor along Grand Avenue from Louis Street to 25th Avenue.
Over $2 million of federal funding will be utilized to install rain gardens, add turn lanes, construct medians with trees and landscaping, and rebuild curbs and sidewalks to enhance ADA handicap accessibility and pedestrian safety. Please see details about the March 25 Virtual Meeting on Page 4 of newsletter.
Finally, an open house was held last year to discuss location and design ideas for a vehicular underpass connecting Belmont Avenue to Martens Street and a pedestrian underpass near 25th Avenue. This critically important project would address blocked crossings at the CPKC tracks, causing congestion that impacts emergency vehicles, commuters, students, and the economic vitality of the area. Funding to construct the underpasses has not yet been obtained but the Village looks forward to continued progress in the year ahead.

Mayor Barrett Pedersen at the Underpass Lounge with the restaurant’s owner Dave Guerin and Patti Garcia, chief of staff to Congressman Chuy Garcia.
Mayor Barrett F. Pedersen