A priority for several years in the City of Monmouth, reconstruction of the water main and roadway of Harlem Avenue is on tap for this year. While the financing is in place for the water main, about half of the funding has been secured for the road reconstruction says City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher:
“That project is already engineered and as soon as we get that grant announcement from the State of Illinois, we will be ready to proceed with that water main replacement. We are expecting that will be a 2022 project; hopefully start construction by mid to late summer and be done before winter sets in. Then that will be followed up with street reconstruction and that will be a complete reconstruction of Harlem Avenue as a concrete street with sidewalks.”
As that stretch of roadway houses the hospital, YMCA, Pattee Pool, VFW, Painter Farm Equipment, and several other residences, Mayor Rod Davies says traffic control is on the city’s minds:
“Traffic control is always a big piece of that. We are fortunate that we do have an alternate street just a block over to the south that we could use and maybe become part of the detour during certain stages. I know they try to do that a block or two at a time and stage traffic through there where they have the one lane like you see on the highway. They may be able to do some of that through there, but I know the emergency services and all those things are going to be a unique challenge and one that becomes part of the planning process.”
The water main replacement will be completed first, which is expected to begin later summer, followed by the road reconstruction.
**Written by WMOI/WRAM Director of Communications Kelsey Crain**
