Subpar Work Means Elmhurst Street Redo: City

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst revealed late last week that First Street will have to be repaved because a contractor did not meet the city's standards.

The new work will be at the expense of the contractor, West Chicago-based Swallow Construction Corp., the city said.

The redone work will involve the removal of the recently installed asphalt surface and the elevation adjustment of the sanitary and storm sewer manhole in the street, the city said in a notice to nearby residents.

The city said it would ensure the street has an adequate asphalt thickness and a proper drainage slope.

The work resumed Saturday and is expected to last three weeks, according to the notice.

"We understand that First Street has been under construction for much of the summer and has caused disruptions in various aspects of daily life," the notice said. "Please know that the City has been actively working to provide a long-lasting infrastructure improvement that performs well in all seasons."

In mid-August, resident Brett Lowe, who lives near First Street, told Patch that no work had been done on the project for three weeks. He said he and his neighbors wondered what was going on.

The project, he said at the time, started in early June, with the contractor tearing up the street, putting in a pipe and laying down gravel.

The city's spokeswoman, Kassondra Schref, responded at the time that the work was "ahead of schedule" under the contract and that officials foresaw no issues meeting the deadline of Aug. 31.

In an email last week, Lowe alerted Patch to the notice sent to him and his neighbors.

Referring to the city's earlier comments, Lowe said in an email, "Is it common for a project 'ahead of schedule' to just stop?"

He added the project has been a "massive inconvenience" and a "giant mess."

"It was an absolute disregard for the people who live here," Lowe said.