'Painful' Costs For Hinsdale Drainage Projects

HINSDALE, IL – The costs for two Hinsdale drainage projects are "painful," but the village should approve them anyway, the village president said Tuesday.

The projects are planned for Charleston Road and Grant Street.

The low bidder was Downers Grove-based Swallow Construction for $777,000, far exceeding the $550,000 budget. The other bidder, Elgin-based Martam Construction, came in at $820,000.

At a Village Board meeting, Village President Tom Cauley said he originally thought the village should delay a year and wait for concrete prices to drop.

But he said the village would run the risk of losing $234,000 in DuPage County money for the projects. That money would be revoked by October 2024 if it is not spent, he said.

"If I was a betting man, I think that, at some point, concrete may come down, but I can't guarantee that," Cauley said.

Trustee Luke Stifflear said the prices may actually continue to rise.

Cauley said he could not remember an instance in his 14 years as village president when the low bid was so much higher than the budgeted amount.

"I think it's largely because of the inflationary environment we're in," he said.