Kenilworth Railroad Crossing to Close for 10 Days in July

Kenilworth should prepare for a big traffic headache in July — the village's lone railroad crossing at Kenilworth Avenue will be closed for 10 days, as Union Pacific repairs the rough passage.

The Kenilworth Board of Trustees approved a waiver during Monday night's meeting that will allow Union Pacific to work extended hours as well as on Sunday, when construction work is typically banned.

Union Pacific plans to close the crossing from July 18 to 27, at which time Metra trains will be delayed 10 to 20 minutes. Pedestrians will be allowed to cross, but not motorized vehicles. Village Manager Brad Burke said a second crossing would be repaired this summer in Wilmette, causing additional delays for commuters and detours for motorists.

The railroad asked for the weekend hours because there are fewer commuter trains passing along the North Line those days and the job could be done more quickly.

“It will increase it by two days if they can't work on the weekends,” Burke said. The board approved work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekend of July 23 and 24. The usual village construction hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

The railroad had initially asked to be allowed to work overnight hours on the weekend, but withdrew the request after some resistance to the idea from Burke and Village President Fred Steingraber. Meanwhile Trustee James McClamroch insisted that construction crews start at 7 a.m., not 6 a.m. as the railroad requested, giving nearby residents an extra hour of sleep before the sound of beeping machinery ensues.

Police Chief John Petersen said two officers would have to be on duty at all times, one on each side of the tracks. “It will require us to beef up our staff,” Petersen said.

Also on Monday night, the board voted to approve a bid of $186,000 for summer street paving to Chicagoland Paving of Lake Zurich. The award, which comes from the village's share of the motor fuel tax, came $83,000 under budget. Burke said Chicagoland will pave portions of Roger Avenue, Cummings Avenue, Warwick Road and Roslyn Road.

Officials also voted to sharply increase the fee rates for a new water meter, rising from as low as $81 to at least $500, the rate for a 5/8-inch pipe. The more popular 1-1/2-inch pipe will more than double from $344 to $850, which is within $50 of the rate paid in Wilmette and Winnetka. “We've been way behind the times,” said Public Works Director Kevin Zeoli.

And while Trustee Thomas Nahrwold conceded that rates needed to rise, he objected to the dramatic increase. Nahrwold asked that anyone considering a new water meter be advised of the rate change and allowed the old rate. The increased fee does not apply to permits already submitted.

“[The pipe work] is a real improvement. You're going out to the road,” Trustee Bill Russell speculated, noting the relatively small expense. “If they think $850 is too much, they ain't doing it.”