Fewer Missed Opportunities In Western Springs: Officials

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs appears to have found a more efficient way to identify which infrastructure projects to undertake.

Officials acknowledge the village has missed opportunities to replace water and sewer lines at the same time it rebuilds streets.

Consultants with engineering firm Baxter & Woodman have analyzed the streets and village utilities that are most in need of replacement. With that information, they have produced a map.

This, officials said Monday, would guide the village on which projects to target – those where streets, water and sewers are all considered high risk.

"One of the biggest frustrations from a staff standpoint is when we have a road that is deteriorating, and we keep putting it off and putting it off because we don't have the funds for what's underneath it," Village Manager Ellen Baer told the Village Board. "(It) would be our village engineer's dream to fund the entire project and get it done."

Many of the streets most in need of improvement are in the Springdale subdivision in the southeastern part of town, which has suffered flooding issues.

In the west part of Western Springs, some of the streets most in need of improvement are the entire length of Fair Elms Avenue and 2½ blocks of Central Avenue, which is parallel to Fair Elms.

Also, big portions of Hillgrove and Burlington avenues are on the list.

Village President Heidi Rudolph said the consultants' data is a big step for the village.

"It really helps us communicate with our residents," she said.

This is the map produced by engineering firm Baxter & Woodman for Western Springs. It shows the projects that are most needed