City on Track to Again Pave 300 Miles of Roads This Year; By End of This Year More than 1,300 Miles of City Roads Will Have Been Repaved Since Mayor Emanuel Took Office
CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–September 10, 2015. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced yesterday that more than 150 miles of city roads have been paved in Chicago in 2015, putting the City beyond the halfway point to fulfilling the Mayor’s commitment of paving 300 miles of city roads each year.
“We have prioritized funding for paving over the past four years, and we will continue to do so, because smooth streets are essential to maintaining the quality of life for our residents and the economic vitality of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Emanuel. “By making these long-term investments we are improving our infrastructure so people can get around their neighborhoods, and we are putting people to work across Chicago.”
At Mayor Emanuel’s direction, City departments and private utilities have stepped up paving efforts since the Mayor took office in 2011. Last year alone, City departments, private contractors and utilities combined to pave a record 343 miles of roads. By the end of 2015 the City will have paved more than 1,300 miles of roads since the Mayor took office – the equivalent of paving from Chicago to Albuquerque, NM – or more than a quarter of the City’s roads.
“I want to thank all the workers who are out each day making sure Chicago’s roads are passable for residents,” CDOT Commission Rebekah Scheinfeld said. “We still have work to do in 2015, but we are well on our way to meeting the Mayor’s commitment of 300 miles.”
To ensure the City is not only increasing investment in repaving projects, but also investing more efficiently, the City has improved coordination on infrastructure projects. Through CDOT’s Project Coordination Office, City infrastructure departments and utilities have worked together to reduce the amount of project conflicts that would require opening up a street more than once. These coordination efforts have led to a savings of $51 million since 2012.
Source: www.cityofchicago.org
