Which Roads are Worst? Village is Taking Inventory

As New Lenox is looking to expand the number of roads it repairs on an annual basis, an inventory is being taken to determine the "worst of the worst."

Village engineer Will Nash said more emphasis is being put on finding the most problematic roads as New Lenox embarks on a 20-year plan that will resurface all side streets in town.

Currently, the village resurfaces about 1.6 miles of road every summer. But because of new revenue from increasing sales and utility taxes, New Lenox can fix 6 miles of road annually.

The tax increases, approved last month, will bring in an additional $2.9 million of annual revenue for New Lenox. About $1.1 million of that will go toward side street repairs each year, complimented by $700,000 from the annual Motor Fuel Tax fund.

The thinking behind a 20-year plan is that new roads should last about 20 years, so once all have been repaired it will be time to go back over the first repaired. That's why it's time to prioritize, and undertaking village staff is working on now. Mayor Tim Baldermann said the 20-year cycle would start in 2013, but next summer there will still be some road repairs.

Despite the 20-year look at local roads, the plan will be fluid. Each year around March, when village is discussing the next year's budget, the village will evaluate its revenue and see how many roads it can work on that summer. So every year could be different, but the goal is to fix 6 miles annually.

"We know which areas are bad, but we're picking the worst of the worst," Nash said. "We'll have a game plan."

He said there is room with the Motor Fuel Tax to redo curbs and sidewalks, not just resurface roads, but it would depend on funding and the severity of the project. The ideal situation, Nash said, if if the village can concentrate in one subdivision each year.

"That way we aren't doing one road in a subdivision and causing a backup for those residents without fixing their roads right away," he said. Currently, the projects are done on various roads througout town, .