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News
School officials seek state funds for Rt. 71 work : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisSchool officials seek state funds for Rt. 71 work
| Huddle with area state lawmakers at Oswego Village Hall
| by Lyle R. Rolfe
| 11/26/2009
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Lynn Cullick, president of the Oswego School Board met recently with local state lawmakers to ask for help in paying for the widening and other improvements to Ill. Route 71 in front of Oswego High School .
Cullick said she meets frequently with Oswego Village President Brian LeClercq on school-village issues and mentioned at a recent meeting that the district would like financial help on the Route 71 improvements.
The district presently is paying the entire cost of the work, which totals $1,053,382.
"I mentioned to Brian that maybe if we could put some pressure on our legislators, we could get them to pony up and do what they're supposed to do," Cullick said, adding, "Brian suggested asking them to meet with us, and I said that would be great. Considering this is an election year, maybe we could get them to try to get funds for us. I know they can't promise any money, but if we could get them to promise to try they might get something and anything would be a help."
She said the meeting was arranged by LeClercq and held at the Oswego Village Hall. In attendance were Cullick; LeClercq; Dr. Dan O'Donnell, Oswego School Superintendent; Doug Gallois, school district executive director of construction services; State Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego; State Rep. Kay Hatcher, R-Yorkville; and Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora.
Cullick said the legislators agreed to meet with IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) officials to plead the district's case for financial help.
"By the time the wheels turn, they would be reimbursing us for money we already spent," she said.
The budget for the Route 71 work has increased to $1,053,382, up $97,000 from Gallois' original estimate of $855,000. Gallois said their original plan was to patch in new road areas, but IDOT said the entire road surface must be replaced which will increase the cost.
The work is being paid for as part of the district's cost for renovations to Oswego High School.
"It doesn't make sense to me that we have to pay the entire cost because we're just part of the traffic problem," Gallois told school board members at an earlier meeting. He said he had met with elected state officials but did not see any of them being able to help get funds for the project.
Other board members said the project has been on the state's five-year plan every year for more than eight years.
Gallois said he is confident they can reduce the OHS building costs enough during the next six to nine months by more than the $97,000 needed for the Route 71 work.
This total project cost includes $258,297 for the traffic signals, $795,085 for roadwork, $230,100 for excavation and grading, $49,168 for storm sewer work, $477,318 for paving, curbs and sidewalks, and $38,498 for miscellaneous costs.
Gallois said his plan is to open bids at the Jan. 29 or Feb. 9 board meeting and award them at the following meeting.
Work could be started in March and be completed by Aug. 20 in time for the opening of the 2010-11 school year, he said.
The signals will be installed at the school's main entrance, which is at the north end of the building, across from the entrance to the District's Administration Center. The East View Elementary School is expected to be reopened after life safety work is completed.
The lights will be sequenced with the signal at the nearby intersection of U.S. Routes 34 and Route 71, he noted.
Gallois said the entrance will be widened to three lanes in each direction with east and west turn lanes from each direction along with north and south straight through lanes.
Improvements also will be made to the south school entrance on Franklin Street. They will include two lanes in each direction with turn lanes. IDOT plans to realign Franklin Street with the new school entrance, he said.
The road surface on both sides in the construction area will be removed and rebuilt and shoulders improved where needed.
Curbs will be installed at both school entrances, sidewalks will be installed in front of the school, the road will be re-stripped and proper signs will be installed.
"I'm hoping most of the work in front of the school could be held off until students are gone from school," he said, adding that the road would be improved along the entire Route 71 school frontage.
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