Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced more than 175 miles of Chicago streets have been repaved in 2016, moving the city closer towards a 21st century transportation system throughout Chicago. In the last five years more than 1,500 miles of streets have been repaved by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Department of Water Management (DWM) and private utilities.

“All across the City of Chicago, we are making steady progress modernizing our streets and improving quality of life in our neighborhoods,” Mayor Emanuel said. “City crews are working hard and taking advantage of construction season to get as many miles of streets repaved as possible this year. “

To date in 2016 CDOT has repaved more than 470 blocks of residential streets (60+ miles), plus more than 25 miles of arterial streets and 18 miles of alleys. DWM has repaved more than 72 miles of city streets as part of its program to restore streets that have had new water mains and/or sewers installed.

“CDOT and our partners have been working hard to deliver 21st Century infrastructure in every corner of the City of Chicago,” CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said. “Since 2011, we have repaved more than one-third of the City’s streets.”

Starting in the coming weeks, residents will see repaving projects starting up on a number of arterial routes all across the City. Among the major arterial routes scheduled for resurfacing are the following:

• Ashland from 119th Street to 123rd Street
• Clark from Wacker to Randolph
• Elston from Addison to Diversey
• Kostner from 26th Street to 31st Street
• Martin Luther King Drive from 51st Street to Marquette
• State Street from Congress to 9th Street
• 99th from Genoa to Halsted

In addition, paving work is in progress on the following arterial routes:

• Broadway from Devon Avenue to Foster Avenue
• California Avenue from 63rd Street to Marquette Road
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from 87th Street to 95th Street
• Pershing Road from State Street to Cottage Grove Avenue
• Yates Boulevard from 79th Street to South Chicago Avenue

To ensure the City is not only increasing investment in street repaving projects, but also investing more efficiently, CDOT has been working with DWM and private utilities to improve coordination on infrastructure projects. Through CDOT’s Project Coordination Office, City infrastructure departments and utilities have worked together to reduce the amount of project conflicts that would require opening up a street more than once. These coordination efforts have reduced traffic-related inconveniences and generated $73 million in savings since 2012. 

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