Forest Park Drive in Peoria Heights will be closed for repairs for approximately three weeks in June. The barricades go up on Monday, June 5.
In April, the Village Board unanimously approved a $628,933 contract with R.A. Cullinan to do milling and a pavement overlay of the scenic road from Prospect to Forest Park Nature Center. That will include going four inches deep along the edges on both sides of the road, which have suffered significant settling and water damage over the years. The overlay will be about two inch thick at the road’s center.
“The last time Forest Park (Drive) was done was about 2005, so we are due for a bit of an upgrade, a facelift,” said Trustee Mark Gauf. “This is definitely a needed thing.”
The work is expected to extend the life of the roadway by 15 years, said Gauf. The funding comes from state Motor Fuels Tax (MFT) dollars, not the local budget.
Heights officials acknowledged that the road closure may be an inconvenience for some local motorists, as it’s one of only two real connections between the main areas of town – the riverfront area along Galena Road/Illinois Route 29, and the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods up on the bluff. Still, it’s a necessary inconvenience, and it will pay long-term dividends, trustees assured.
The project’s time frame – shorter or longer -- could be affected by weather conditions, but Village officials are asking the locals to prepare themselves for three weeks.