These Oak Forest Streets Will Have Sidewalks By The End Of 2020

OAK FOREST, IL — Almost 20 blocks of streets currently without sidewalks northwest of the Metra train station at 159th and Cicero in Oak Forest are expected to have them by the end of 2020. A project is in the works to add sidewalks along portions of 155th, 156th, 157th and 158th streets in that area to increase Oak Forest residents' accessibility to the train station.

The project is still in its final design phase, but the areas in which the sidewalks will be added have already been finalized. The city is using Manhard Consulting as its engineer and $1.17 million in grant money from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and the Regional Transit Authority's Access to Transit program. The city of Oak Forest itself is contributing about $100,000 to the project after additional funding was needed.

"The reason the area was chosen is to make it easier for people to get to the Metra station," Travis Bandstra, director of economic and community development for the city of Oak Forest, said.

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The new sidewalks will fill in existing gaps on 19 blocks on the four streets mentioned above. In all, more than 15,000 linear feet of new sidewalk will be installed according to handouts given out to the about 20 or so residents who attended an informational meeting on the project last month.

Feedback from residents at the meeting on minor details affecting their properties will be considered in the final design plans, Bandstra said.

Those final design plans are expected to be submitted for approval later this fall, with bidding for the project tentatively set for March 2020 and for construction and restoration to occur next summer and fall.