The Village of Glen Ellyn needs to make repairs to its aging infrastructure. The 100+ year old system has exceeded its useful life. There are significant issues with the underground water, sanitary and storm sewer as identified by an independent third-party evaluation. Findings from the evaluation include: 

• Over 500 defects in storm and sanitary service lines identified during televising of sewers, including cracks and holes in pipes, deformations, and offset joints.
• Over 80 sanitary service lines require replacement and close to 70 require lining to extend their service life.
• Over 5300 feet of storm and sanitary sewer identified for rehabilitation through sewer lining.
• Sanitary sewer on Main St (Hillside to Duane) is undersized and requires replacement.
• At least 27 points were identified where storm water potentially enters the sanitary sewer system, adding to the amount of sewerage water that needs to be treated by the Glenbard Wastewater Authority (GWA) plant.
• Over 1,000 feet of storm sewer needs to be replaced due to pipe condition.
• Cast iron watermain along Main Street dates back to 1907 and has exceeded its useful lifespan.
• Sections of cast iron watermain on Pennsylvania date back to the 1910’s and have exceeded their useful lifespan.
• Over 230 water services and b-boxes identified to be replaced as part of the watermain replacements including upgraded water service pipe size and materials.

The project is projected to cost $27.8 million. Nineteen percent (19%) of the total cost is for streetscape upgrades.

The Village is completing the streetscaping in phases, as indicated in the map below. The Phase 1 construction was largely completed in 2022, with some remaining work on Hillside Avenue extending into 2023. Phases 2 and 3 were bid as one construction package, with Phase 2 construction being substantially completed in 2023 and Phase 3 to be completed in 2024. The remaining streetscaping work (Forest and Crescent east of Main) is planned to occur coincident with the downtown train station reconstruction and pedestrian underpass.

The Village is coordinating with the Glenwood Station development project at the northwest corner of Crescent Boulevard and Glenwood Avenue. Glenwood Station construction started in 2023 and is anticipated to extend into 2025. The sidewalks and streetscape elements surrounding the development are planned to be completed as part of the development in the spring of 2025.

Construction does disrupt normal business operations. When underground utility work is being done, the streets must be closed to vehicular traffic for periods of time. Temporary sidewalks and ramps are used during the project to maintain pedestrian access to each business.

The Village has been working closely with the Downtown Alliance, Chamber, and individual businesses to listen and address businesses’ concerns. The Village and the construction company strive to install clear signage to direct traffic, provide regular stakeholder meetings and weekly project updates, and support an open-for-business campaign. On-street parking and loading zones are provided and signed where and when possible. Additional customer parking has been secured in the existing parking lots and some additional locations to help increase parking supply during construction.

The Resident Engineer is on-site during construction and serves as a direct line of communication with the business owners regarding the day-to-day construction operations. The Resident Engineer provides advance notice and coordination for upcoming construction operations in front of each business.

The Village has several business financial support programs to assist businesses with private improvements to their business. Click here to view the full list of economic incentives offered by the Village.

At the Village Board meeting on January 19, 2021 the Board evaluated the project team’s recommendation for materials, public preference, durability, and cost to make the final decision on the materials for the streetscape. A herringbone pattern with a tumbled edge was selected for the parkway material as it compliments many downtown buildings and is durable and easy to maintain. The Board chose plain concrete for the sidewalk material due to its ease of replacement over time. The tree planter curbs will be a mix of granite in locations and precast concrete in other locations in order to control cost. The same materials are proposed to be used throughout all phases of the streetscaping project.