SUCCESS STORIES
APWA Project of the Year 2010: Village of Glen Ellyn's Parkside/Summerdale Roadway and Infrastructure Improvement Project
ERA provided design engineering services for roadway and infrastructure improvement project
In 2007, the Village of Glen Ellyn’s Public Works Department retained Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. (ERA) to provide design engineering services for the Parkside-Summerdale Roadway and Infrastructure Improvement Project.
Parkside Avenue and Summerdale Avenue intersect in a residential neighborhood near Park Boulevard and Roosevelt Road. The residential roads were constructed approximately 50 years ago with a rural cross-section. The roadway and drainage ditches were in poor condition causing flooding and unsafe driving conditions. In addition, the area featured a two-way triangular intersection which experienced dangerous driving conditions due to the high volume of vehicles, including truck traffic, attempting to avoid the traffic signals located along Park Boulevard and Roosevelt Road. As these drivers attempted to save time, their vehicle speeds had become excessively high and created unsafe conditions for residents.
The Parkside-Summerdale area is located in the lowest elevation within its watershed. The rural drainage system was failing due to increased upstream development and residents’ encroachment on roadside ditches. Overland flow was flooding detached garages and pouring into basement wells.
The Parkside-Summerdale Roadway and Infrastructure Improvement Project included the reconstruction of over 4,000 feet of roadway, the rehabilitation of over 2,500 feet of hot-mix asphalt pavement, over 7,500 feet of sanitary sewer lining and point repairs, over 5,000 feet of new water mains, and over 3,500 feet of storm sewers. In order to remedy hazardous driving conditions, Glen Ellyn’s first turning circle was incorporated for traffic calming purposes. Flooding problems were addressed by a unique combination of installation of curb and gutter, storm sewer implementation, raising the profile of sidewalks, and changing the road profiles and cross-sections.
During Summer 2008, the $3.9 million project was awarded to John Neri Construction. The Parkside-Summerdale Roadway and Infrastructure Improvement Project was successfully completed on-time and on budget during the Fall of 2008.
Construction Schedule, Management and Control
Representatives from both the Village of Glen Ellyn’s Public Works Department and ERA maintained timely correspondence with neighborhood residents and business owners to keep stakeholders abreast of developments throughout the project’s duration. Staff coordination included two public meetings. During the first meeting, staff demonstrated to residents the unique traffic calming benefits that a turning circle would provide for the neighborhood. Additionally, coordination with the residents was done during this meeting to determine where access points to the proposed and existing storm sewer could be installed to satisfy Village of Glen Ellyn code requirements. Early and consistent coordination was also required with the residents of the apartment complex to incorporate additional parking into the alley design, and businesses to coordinate delivery schedules during construction. The second public meeting was held prior to construction to coordinate staging with the residents and to identify any minor drainage issues that residents and businesses may have outside of the right-of-way.
Periodic meetings were also held on-site with residents so ERA’s engineering staff could stake out the proposed improvements. In some cases the driveways were actually proposed within the throat of the circle. On-site meetings provided the residents with a better understanding of the turning circle concept.
During Summer 2008, the Village of Glen Ellyn’s Public Works Department awarded the $3.9 million project to John Neri Construction Company. Close coordination between ERA, the Village, the contractor and the resident engineer, Civiltech, resulted in a project that was completed on-time and on budget during Fall 2008.
Safety Performance
Throughout the duration of the Parkside-Summerdale project, in order to ensure safe conditions for residents and construction staff, a number of traffic control measures were implemented. All roads were blocked to vehicles expect for local traffic and construction equipment. The Village of Glen Ellyn adhered to all standard IDOT traffic control measures. All Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) standards were followed throughout the construction timeframe.
Community Relations
As Glen Ellyn was implementing its first turning circle, the impacted residents had numerous questions and concerns. The Village held several public hearings and town hall question-and-answer sessions. Both Village staff and engineers attended these meetings educating residents on all aspects of the project from aesthetics, functionality, and how to drive through the traffic calming turning circle. The Village went as far as having a private field meeting with one resident demonstrating how they would pull out of their driveway which was located on the circle. Village staff also coordinated the design of a new subdivision development to relocate the entrance drive to the four-lot subdivision.
After the conclusion of the Parkside-Summerdale Roadway and Infrastructure Improvement Project, the Village of Glen Ellyn’s Public Works Department received numerous letters informing them about the positive response. Nearby residents stated that the intersection of both streets is much nicer than before the project, and neighborhood children are now allowed to play in their front yards. The neighborhood has seen a significant reduction in traffic volume and vehicular speeds.
Environmental Considerations
Part of the appeal of taking up residence in the Village of Glen Ellyn is its mature trees, open green space, and overall environmentally-friendly approach of the community. Environmental protection was a high priority during the entire design and construction process. ERA worked closely with Village of Glen Ellyn staff on the development of a plan for tree preservation and protection. This plan guaranteed that the only trees to be removed were absolutely necessary for roadway safety. Through this plan, staff was able to transplant several mature trees into the center of the new traffic calming circle. Staff is pleased to report that the trees are thriving. The tree protection measures implemented during construction allowed all of the remaining trees to remain in place.
In addition, to proper tree preservation, the design of the traffic calming turning circle reduced the amount of impervious surface allowing more green space for increased groundwater infiltration.
Unusual Accomplishments Under Adverse Conditions
There were unique issues that were encountered during the design and construction phases of this project. Special attention was directed to these areas to ensure that the specific needs of the public were addressed.
One such task determined during the design phase included the reconstruction of an alley between both residential and commercial properties. Extensive coordination was needed to provide apartment and business owners adequate notice to accommodate the construction activities. High Early PCC was utilized for pavement within the alley to minimize and, in some cases, even eliminate scheduling conflicts with commercial delivery trucks. Furthermore, this type of concrete pavement allowed the residents to resume use of the parking stalls adjacent to their building within a short period of time.
In addition, once construction had begun, several residents within the subdivision came forward with drainage concerns specific to their property. The Village was able to completely eliminate many of these issues by coordinating with the contractor and tying these private connections directly into the existing storm sewer main at minimal cost prior to the installation of the new pavement.
Additional Considerations and Innovations
A driving factor behind the Parkside-Summerdale project was the need to satisfy severe drainage problems. The simple solution, but expensive, would have been to increase storm sewer sizes to convey large storm events. As the design proceeded, several cost-effective solutions were developed. A sidewalk profile was significantly raised to protect from water running down driveways and flooding detached garages and basements. An intersection was reconstructed with a minor depression that directed stormwater down a secondary street away from the flood prone areas. Since these improvements reduced the required storm sewers diameter by several sizes for a length of 3,500 feet significantly reduced construction costs while still solving flooding problems.
