Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced an expanded streets paving program for 2014 to combat the pothole-filled condition of many of Chicago’s arterial streets caused by the extremely harsh winter weather.

As a result of adding 22 miles to the Chicago’s 2014 arterial resurfacing plan of 63 miles, City agencies and private utilities plan to resurface a total of 333 miles of arterial and neighborhood streets and alleys in 2014.

“In four years, we will have resurfaced nearly a quarter of Chicago’s 4,600 miles of streets,” said Mayor Emanuel. “We are Building a New Chicago through the critical investment in our infrastructure and improving the quality of life in every community.”

Much of the funding for the additional roadway improvements will come from the State of Illinois, who will contribute an additional $14 million to repave 14 miles of arterial streets. The remaining $8 million in additional funding will come from selected Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Corporate Fund savings.

“Communities throughout Illinois need transportation improvements and jobs, and this critical investment helps accomplish both,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider. “Following this difficult winter, I am proud that we are able to coordinate with the City of Chicago on projects that will improve the quality of life for residents throughout the city.”

Under Mayor Emanuel’s Building a New Chicago infrastructure investment program, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Department of Water Management (DWM), private contractors and utilities will have resurfaced more than 1,000 miles of streets of streets from 2011 through 2014 (155 miles in 2011; 269 miles in 2012; 290 miles in 2013; and 333 miles in 2014).

Last month, Mayor Emanuel announced that more than 300 miles would be resurfaced in 2014. Today, he announced that $22 million would be added to the arterial resurfacing plan to repave 22 additional miles of heavily traveled main thoroughfares.

DWM plans to increase their workload in 2014, to installing 85 miles of new water mains, 21 miles of new sewer mains, relining 51 miles of sewer mains, and install 15,000 new water meters. DWM will also repave 133 miles of roadway.

In 2014, CDOT expects to repave 85 miles of arterial streets, 90 miles of residential streets and five miles of alleys. Gas, electric and telecommunication utilities are expected to repave 20 miles of streets as part of their infrastructure work.

With better coordination on infrastructure improvement projects through CDOT’s Project Management Office, both departments and the utilities worked together to reduce the amount of project conflicts that would open up a street more than once. By setting new standards for restoring the public way after construction, the various utilities resurfaced more miles of Chicago streets.

In 2013, the City realized a savings of approximately $14 million through the coordination of projects with utilities and the requirements that they fully restore the roadways after their construction projects.

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