During Monday night's board meeting, the Park Forest Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 2025 Road Improvement Contract presented by the Public Works Department. This contract will facilitate the reconstruction of two miles of Village-owned streets.

Public Works Assistant Director Nick Christie reported that the nearly $4 million project will focus on improving the following residential streets: Tomahawk, Topeka, Nauvoo (west of Shabbona), Somonauk (west of Shabbona), Seneca, Onarga, Marquette (from Orchard to Oswego), New Salem, Herndon, Gentry, and Monitor.

Christie highlighted that over the past three years, the Village has replaced nearly nine miles of roadway, and plans for ongoing improvements to the infrastructure in Park Forest will continue. 

"Our goal is always to enhance the quality of life for residents in Park Forest," Christie stated. "People often desire to see their tax dollars put to good use. Therefore, our department is committed to ensuring that we use tax dollars and grants at both local and federal levels to maintain infrastructure that will last for decades."

Some residents may wonder how the streets were chosen for this round of construction. Christie explained that the selection was based on a study conducted in 2019, during which Park Forest participated in a Village-wide Pavement Assessment Report. This report evaluated the current conditions of all Village-maintained roads and identified future maintenance and rehabilitation needs. It also assessed current funding sources and analyzed future funding requirements to implement the plan. The findings revealed that 77% of Village roads were rated as fair to serious condition, including those slated for construction this year.

Christie emphasized that the selected roadways urgently need repair, which is why they were chosen for this construction season. 

"In a perfect world, we would love to repave every street in town at once," Christie remarked. "However, funding constraints prevent that from happening. Nonetheless, Village staff is actively seeking additional funding to complete more road projects and will continue to pursue these opportunities."

Depending on weather conditions, Roadwork is expected to begin in mid to late April. Additionally, the Forest Boulevard Project is scheduled to commence later this summer. Park Forest has received $3 million in grant funding from Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) to reconstruct Forest Boulevard , including removing the southbound section within the Village's Downtown.