Streets and Sidewalks
Last updated: Public Relations Specialist | Thursday, November 10, 2011
| Contact | Telephone |
|---|---|
| Public Works Department | (630) 434-5460 |
| Community Response Center | (630) 434-2255 |
To report potential roadway problems such as potholes, or identify sidewalk defects, please contact the Community Response Center.
State and County Roads
Many roads or sections of roads within the Village are under State of Illinois or DuPage County jurisdiction. If issues arise on any of these roads, please contact the proper authority.
| Contact | Telephone |
|---|---|
| Illinois Department of Transportation | (847) 705-4222 |
| DuPage County Division of Transportation | (630) 407-6920 |
| Road Segment | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| 31st Street | County |
| 55th Street (Dunham Road to eastern Village limits) | County |
| 63rd Street | County |
| 75th Street | County |
| Belmont Road | County |
| Butterfield Road | State |
| Fairview Avenue (Ogden Avenue to 31st Street) | County |
| Finley Road | County |
| Highland Avenue (39th Street to Butterfield Road) | County |
| Hobson Road | County |
| Main Street (55th Street to 75th Street) | County |
| Main Street (Ogden Avenue to 39th Street) | County |
| Maple Avenue (I-355 to Dunham Road) | County |
| Ogden Avenue | State |
| Warrenville Road | County |
Street Sweeping
Street sweeping is a contracted service. The contractor performs 9 sweeping cycles from early April through September, depending on the weather. Three of those cycles occur from mid October to early December due to the heavy volume of leaves.
The Street Sweeping Map shows the schedule for street sweeping by grid.
| Grid | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2nd week of the month |
| 2 | 2nd week of the month |
| 3 | 2nd week of the month |
| 4 | 2nd week of the month |
| 5 | 1st week of the month |
| 6 | 1st weekof the month |
| 7 | 1st week of the month |
| 8 | 1st week of the month |
| Downtown Business District |
Weekly on Friday |
| Parking Lots | 3rd week of the month |
Street Repairs
Streets are evaluated annually and scheduled into the Maintenance Plan. Depending on a street’s condition, various cost-effective maintenance procedures may be scheduled. Work may include preventive measures such as cleaning and sealing cracks, pavement patching, or placement of a thin sealer called micro-surface over the entire roadway. If conditions warrant, streets will also be slated for in-depth repairs ranging from resurfacing with new asphalt to complete street reconstruction.
The Preventive Seal Program and Resurfacing Program documents provide more specifics regarding roadway work activities.
What is Pavement Condition Index (PCI)?
The MicoPaver reports below define the Village of Downers Grove roadway conditions into the categories of: 21 failed, 117 serious, 221 very poor, 210 poor, 210 fair, 393 satisfactory and 399 good.
The attached map includes all roads in very poor or worse condition. The conditions are determined by the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which ranges from 0-100. The denoted conditions and their PCI ranges are as follows: failed (0-10), serious (11-25), and very poor (26-40).
Potholes
Pothole repair is an ongoing operation of the Public Works Department’s Street Repair program. Crews work throughout the Village in sections, according to the established Snow Route Map. Depending on the number of potholes, it typically takes a two person crew about three weeks to make a complete round of the Village.
What causes a pothole?
Potholes are a sign that the street pavement is wearing out. Over time, pavement cracks and breaks due to water or wear and tear from traffic. Water trapped between the cracks may cause erosion under the surface and cause the pavement to sink down and break, resulting in a pothole.
During the winter, water under the pavement freezes and expands, then thaws and contracts. This freeze/thaw cycle accelerates the rate of pavement deterioration and increases the incidence of potholes, making them more noticeable following periods of cold temperatures and rain/snow.
Pothole Repairs
The Village makes every effort to fill potholes as they are discovered or reported. When it is cold or wet outside, the material used to patch potholes doesn’t adhere as well to the surrounding pavement. Pothole repairs made under these conditions may not last as long as compared to when conditions are ideal, but are necessary for safety reasons. This may explain why it seems that the same pothole never gets fixed, when in reality it has been repaired several times.
Because potholes are a sign of underlying pavement damage, filling a pothole is a temporary solution. If the cause of the pothole is not corrected, such as water getting under the pavement, pothole patches may fail, or more potholes will continue to form.
The only long-term solution for areas of problem potholes is to repave the street, or in some cases, reconstruct the street from the ground up. Potholes will not usually form on pavement that is in good condition and designed to withstand the street’s traffic volume.
Sidewalks
New sidewalks and repairs to existing sidewalks occur annually. Each year, the Village Council approves a Sidewalk Matrix for the the installation of new sidewalks based on a priority system. Repair work to existing sidewalks, such as the removal and replacement of individual sidewalk sections, is based on evaluations of concrete deterioration and trip hazards.