A state-controlled portion of Dundee Road has now been patched, but Glencoe officials view the repairs as only a temporary solution to a longstanding problem.
In the final week of May, crews finished putting blacktop on a series of potholes on the section of Dundee Road that runs between the Edens Expressway to the west and Forest Way Drive to the east. Unlike most of the other streets in the village, this section of road is under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Village officials believe a complete resurfacing of the east-west artery would be more appropriate than a patch job, due to the chronic nature of the problem.
“The segment of Dundee Road between Forest Way Drive and the Edens Expressway was last resurfaced in 2008,” said Public Works Director David Mau in an email. “Given the fact that there are approximately 12,200 vehicles per day using that segment of Dundee Road, including significant truck traffic, the asphalt pavement surface is actively deteriorating.”
Mau said the expected life of asphalt paving under those conditions is generally between 12 and 15 years. While patching can address the immediate problem, he said it is only a temporary measure.
“Based on these facts and the Village staff’s observations and inspections of the current conditions, the pavement warrants a full mill and resurfacing,” Mau wrote.
Agreeing with that sentiment was George Sang, a resident who lives close to Dundee Road.
“It is a Band-Aid. It is clearly better than leaving it pot-holed, but this is exactly what they did in 2017,” Sang said of the patching. “If we have another winter like last year, it will not last a year.”
An IDOT representative said the patching should last about three to five years, and there are currently no plans for a resurfacing of the road, especially given the state’s financial position.
“Pavement conditions at this time do not warrant a resurfacing, especially given other needs and funding availability,” IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell said in an email.
Tridgell added that since the project is not being pursued at this time, a cost estimate has not been developed.
The impact of the state legislature’s recent passage of a $45 billion infrastructure bill remains unknown.
Glencoe spokeswoman Megan Meyer said the village has not been contacted regarding any potential funding from the newly-passed bill.
In the meantime, Mau said they would continue to talk with IDOT and seek improvements.
Village officials have said they have met on site with IDOT officials to discuss the issue and Village President Larry Levin sent a letter in May to the area’s representatives in the state House and Senate seeking their assistance in securing funding.