Village to Lead 175th Street Roadway Improvements

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Village of Tinley Park will now serve as the lead agency for roadway improvements along 175th Street from Oak Park Avenue to Ridgeland Avenue; Ridgeland Avenue from 175th Street to Oak Forest Avenue; and Oak Forest Avenue from Ridgeland Avenue to 167th Street.

While the aforementioned roads are under Cook County jurisdiction, the county was unable to proceed with improvements for at least two years due to other projects. Several weeks ago, Mayor Dave Seaman met with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to discuss ways to get the project back on track. As a result of that meeting, Cook County allowed the Village to take the lead on getting roadway design plans ready for bid, thus accelerating the project a number of years.

The project will include lowering 175th Street and installing curb and gutters from Oak Park to Ridgeland avenues on 175th Street and along Ridgeland Avenue north of 175th Street. The new pavement will be hot-mix asphalt with a three-lane cross section that will allow one lane in each direction with bi-directional left turns and the project will include storm sewers, street lights and sidewalk improvements, as well as pedestrian upgrades to Tinley Park High School.

The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways will reimburse the Village for the environmental report update and design engineering for the roadway improvements, which will be started this year. Pending county construction funding, construction could begin in early 2018 and is projected to take about one year to complete.

Upon completion of the construction project and acceptance by the Village, the roadways will be turned over to the Village for future maintenance and control.