By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Some of the city’s busiest streets will undergo major renovations in the next five years under a new capital plan that is the largest in city history.
City Council members on Monday will consider a nearly $345 million plan that rebuilds major roadways, replaces wells and water infrastructure, resurfaces neighborhood streets and rebuilds bridges, among other improvements.
“We’re going to have a lot of transformational projects taking place in our community,” Mayor Tom McNamara said on our This Week in the Stateline podcast. “I couldn’t be more excited about our city’s historic investments in infrastructure that are absolutely needed.”
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This is the second year in a row that the city’s five-year capital plan comes with the biggest price tag in its history. A year ago, the five-year plan was valued at $248 million. The record number can partially be attributed to inflation, but it’s also because of the scope of the work the city is tackling, said Kyle Saunders, the city’s director of public works.
“We certainly are seeing prices go up, but we’re also doing some really, really large projects,” Saunders said. “We’re touching just about every type of public infrastructure in Rockford.”
The plan includes improvements to 11th Street, Charles Street, Harrison Avenue, Alpine Road and Whitman Street, among others.
“Some of these really main thoroughfares are going to see some pretty significant improvement,” Saunders said. “I think that’s going to make a huge difference in the quality of life for our residents.”
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Be prepared to see plenty of orange construction barrels up around town over the next half-decade.
“People call with being inconvenienced with construction activities: That is not going to change,” Saunders said. “We’re looking to make some pretty significant investments over the next five years.”
Here’s a look at some of the marquee projects in the five-year plan. You can see a breakdown of the entire plan here.
Alpine Road reconstruction
The city is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to completely overhaul Alpine Road, which is under the state’s jurisdiction.
The roadway would then be transferred to the city’s control, which officials say would allow for faster maintenance in the future.
“Alpine and other unmarked state routes unfortunately aren’t high on the state’s exhaustive list of transportation needs,” state Sen. Steve Stadelman said. “But this agreement means the most deteriorated section will be resurfaced sooner and a total rebuild could occur far faster than previously anticipated.”
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The state committed $1.5 million to resurface Alpine between Charles Street and Harrison Avenue in 2023. It’s committing an additional $5 million to rebuild Alpine from Charles to Linden Road. That work would happen toward the end of the capital plan in 2028.
“We’re going to to treat it under our complete streets treatment: so we’ll have sidewalks, hopefully multiuse paths, intersection improvements so people can safely cross, stormsewer improvements, signal improvements – it should be the full shebang when it comes to reconstruction,” Saunders said.
The state would continue to have jurisdiction of the bridges on the route and be responsible for those future repairs.
It’s a stretch of roadway that sees tens of thousands of vehicles each day, including 24,000 between Newburg Road and Harrison alone, according to IDOT stats.
“State and local officials recognize that Rockford motorists deserve better,” Stadelman said, “and this agreement goes a long way toward improving a major arterial that residents and businesses depend on.”
Two-way conversion, interchange removal
The city plans to remove the ramps and structures of the Illinois 251 and Whitman Street interchange and convert Sixth Street, Ninth Street and Longwood Street from one way to two-way traffic.
One bridge in the area has already been removed and wasn’t replaced, and the Third Street bridge over Sixth Street is estimated to have less than five years left on its lifespan, according to the city.
City officials say the change will provide for better connections between the east and west sides of the city, create additional greenspace and provide for better pedestrian and bicycle access into the neighborhoods.
The $14.45 million project is planned for completion in fall 2025.
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Whitman Street reconstruction
The city also plans on a $10 million reconstruction of Whitman Street, which is considered one of the poorest conditioned arterial streets in Rockford.
Improvements will include rebuilding the roadway, sidewalk repairs and realignment of the road at the curve, as well as water utility upgrades.
The city is also considering connecting the Mel B. Anderson recreation path to the Rock River path along the south side of the roadway.
That project is scheduled for fall 2024.
Harrison Avenue rebuild
In another project done in partnership with the state, Harrison Avenue will be rebuilt from Ninth Street to Kishwaukee Street.
The work includes new sidewalks, lighting and a multiuse path.
The estimated $9.2 million project is slated to begin in 2026 and is funded primarily by $8 million in state funding.
The city would then tackle rebuilding the roadway from Kishwaukee west to the Rock River. That $10 million project would likely proceed in 2027. It is also funded primarily by about $8.4 million in state dollars.
Reservoir Reconstruction
The city plans to replace the 100-year-old Well No. 45 reservoir near Cedar and South Avon streets.
The five-million gallon water reservoir is the largest in the central water pressure zone and is vital to supporting the daily water demands in the area.
The estimated $15 million project is slated to finish in fall 2026.
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Madison Street improvements
Madison Street in downtown will be reconstructed, including new streetscape elements and the relocation of overhead utility poles.
The city will also work with Union Pacific, which has a rail track that runs through the middle of the roadway.
The first phase of the $5 million project, which runs roughly from State Street to Prairie Street, is slated for 2024. The second phase, which runs from Prairie Street to Y Boulevard, is scheduled for 2026.
Downtown bike, pedestrian improvements
A roughly 2-mile stretch of Chestnut/Walnut streets will be rebuilt with new features meant to make the area safer and easier to travel for bicyclists.
The plan includes removing a vehicular lane and replacing it with a separated bicycle and pedestrian path. The corridor will also receive streetscape improvements and the road will be resurfaced.
Included in the $22 million “complete streets” project is the purchase of new electric Rockford Mass Transit District buses and the implementation of a downtown circulator route.
It is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.
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11th Street corridor improvements
The city is moving forward with various fixes to the 11th Street corridor that includes pedestrian and bicycle improvements and the removal of overhead utilities.
The roadway will also be resurfaced, there will be sidewalk upgrades, decorative elements and other safety enhancements.
The $20.5 million project is broken down in to three phases. The stretch from Harrison Avenue to Broadway is slated for 2025. Work goes from Broadway to Charles Street in 2026 and from U.S. 20 to Harrison in 2027.
15th Avenue bridge replacement
The 15th Avenue bridge over the Rock River dates back to 1933 and is nearing the end of its useful life. It will need to be closed to traffic within the next five to 10 years, according to the city.
The $13.8 million project is scheduled to be complete in fall 2027.
Church and Main two-way conversion
The city plans to convert both Church and North Main streets to two-way traffic from Cedar Street to John Street.
Officials say it will make the central city more walkable and rideable for bicyclists, as well as provide better access to downtown attractions.
The $3.36 million project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2024.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.