Construction ‘season’ in Chicago: Projects slated for 2025

CHICAGO (WGN) — The rehabilitation or reconstruction of more than a dozen bridges, resurfacing of more than 150 miles of roadways and alleys and the replacement of several miles of sewer and water mains are among the projects on the docket for 2025, city leaders said Tuesday to mark the unofficial start of construction ‘season’ in Chicago.

Many of the projects will reportedly be funded through the Build Better Together capitol bond, a four-year, $1.25 billion housing and economic development bond.

“I know that construction season can mean road closures and detours, but I hope our residents know every inconvenience means an investment in their community,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at Tuesday’s event at the city’s Englewood Fleet and Facility Management headquarters.

Work on 16 of the city’s bridges, including the Chicago Avenue River Bridge Project that’s currently in the bid submission phase, will be funded with state and local dollars. The Chicago Avenue bridge over the Chicago River will be replaced and will include a new riverwalk connection beneath the bridge.

Roadway Resurfacing

The Chicago Department of Transportation plans to resurface about 50 miles of main thoroughfares and 100 miles of residential streets and alleys throughout the year. Those resurfacing projects usually take months to complete and tend to include curb and sidewalk improvements, pedestrian crossings and other accessibility upgrades.

Locations that have recently gotten underway, according to CDOT, include:

• Cicero Avenue between Devon and Catalpa avenues
• Addison Street between Octavia and Luna avenues
• Taylor Street between Western and Racine avenues
• Milwaukee Avenue between Chicago Avenue and Kinzie Street
• South Ellsworth Drive between East 51^st and East 55^th streets
• West 55^th Street between South Central Park and South Kedzie avenues
• Jeffery Manor: Various locations between 95^th and 101^st streets

Streetscape Improvement Projects

Work on streetscapes transforms aging infrastructure into welcoming spaces and typically include new lighting, signage and traffic signals; new trees and landscaping; and furnishings such as benches, bike racks and decorative paving.

CDOT says projects planned to begin this year include:

• Commercial Avenue Corridor Improvement Project Section II: 90^th Street to 87^th Street
• 95th Street Corridor Improvement Project: Wood Street to Ashland Avenue
• Pullman: 111th Street Streetscape, Cottage Grove to MLK and Cottage Grove and108th Street to 111th Street
• Austin Section 2 Chicago Avenue from Central to Laramie

Water Management Improvements

Officials with the Department of Water Management said they plan to replace 12 miles of water mains, nine miles of sewer mains and 8,000 lead service lines. Ten thousand water restrictors, which help prevent flooding to homes and businesses, will also be replaced.

Specific timelines for the individual projects were not offered Tuesday. Residents can explore the city’s interactive map of active and upcoming public way construction work on CDOT’s ChiStreetWork website.