The city of Elgin has issued a road closure alert for Lawrence Avenue from IL Route 31 to Crystal Avenue. That stretch of road will remain closed from now until Monday, June 13, to continue street repairs related to a water main break. The city asks drivers to please follow the posted detour route.

What Happened?

Aging infrastructure or pressure changes sometimes result in water main breaks. On Saturday, June 4, the water main that runs under the Lawrence Avenue hill broke, resulting in water flowing under the pavement surface and pooling at the intersection of State Street and Kimball Avenue.

City crews and public safety officials were dispatched immediately to repair the water main break and secure the intersection. Because the water disrupted soil under the Lawrence Avenue roadway, there was a potential for sinkholes to develop. City crews removed the roadway to eliminate this safety risk.

What’s Next?

The road is expected to reopen by Monday, June 13. Additional work is required after the road reopens that will result in traffic delays.

This week, city crews will lay the initial road base at which point the road will reopen to traffic. Because of the road’s steep incline, a certain type of asphalt mix must be used and needs to be special ordered. It’s expected that this will occur in the next few weeks. A partial road closure will occur once this phase begins. Partial lane closures are also expected when other work occurs, such as lane striping and traffic signal loop installation.

Investing in Elgin

The city of Elgin is committed to keeping residents informed during its busy construction season. Whatever your preferred method, there are many ways to stay informed.

• General Overview: A comprehensive list of projects is listed on cityofelgin.org/construction. Maps, bid documents, status updates and letters to impacted residents will be posted as they become available for each project.
• Weekly Updates: Email updates provide a snapshot of active construction projects, including anticipated displays. The email updates will also be promoted through the city Facebook page and Twitter account.
• Daily Updates : Follow daily construction updates on Twitter @ElginRoadAlerts. Download the Elgin 311 mobile app for iPhone or Android to view @ElginRoadAlerts and receive real-time alerts for major traffic delays.
• Immediate questions? Call, email or send a mobile app request to Elgin 311. Our knowledgeable 311 Citizen Advocates can answer your questions in English or Spanish.

SOURCE: city of Elgin news release