Burr Ridge gets nearly $800,000 in federal funds for culvert project
Burr Ridge officials this week announced the village will get $785,000 in federal funds to replace a failing culvert on Elm Street.
The funding comes from America Rescue Plan Act, a pool of money set aside to help communities hit hard by COVID-19. Burr Ridge was among many communities in Rep. Sean Casten's district to get almost $7.9 million. Casten announced the approval of the funds last week, after they were approved as part of the federal spending bill signed into law Saturday.
The village had known for months it would get some ARPA money — money intended to replace local tax dollars lost during the pandemic. The question though, was what to do with the funding.
The village had also already been looking to replace the failing bit of infrastructure but with a much smaller and cheaper culvert.
"We originally realized we long had basic flooding issues around Elm Street," Village Administrator Evan Walter said in a phone interview. "It was about 2018 when we realized the structural integrity under the road was starting to fail. In late 2019 and early 2020, we put forth an engineering agreement before the board. The original village scope was going to be 50 % more than we have now and it will be built next summer."
The existing culvert is badly corroded and the area around it is eroding. In January, the village board of trustees discussed what infrastructure upgrades would be prioritized with the money.
At that meeting, Trustee Guy Franzese said the culvert is the highest priority.
"It could fail at any time," he said. Total failure could threaten Elm School, homes and, of course it would impede traffic.
"The longer we wait the more it will cost us," Franzese said.
At the time, Walter said if the village could properly fund the new culvert replacement, the area might never flood again.
"It may solve the problem forever as they may never see overtopping again as it's such a significant upgrade," Walter said.
The village had planned on replacing the existing culvert at a cost of $500,000 directly from the village itself. In a news release, Walter said the village will now pay about $230,000 and get a replacement worth north of a million dollars with a capacity of about 500 % greater than the current culvert.
Now the question is what to do with the money saved. Walter said that should be decided in the near future.
"It'll more than likely be a capital improvement project. We don't have any specifics now, but in the March 28 meeting it'll come up," he said.
The village administrator said he's glad the congressman got the funding.
"We're very thankful to the congressmen's office," Walter said. "This really helps the Elm School area. I want to thank our staff. I would be remiss if I didn't Mention Trustee Franzese as he's our stormwater chair."
The project should begin construction in late summer of this year.
Walter said the whole procedure of getting the grant was relatively painless.
"I would say the process was lengthy, but not overly complex," he said.
The congressman, for his part, said he was happy to help his communities.
"After an extremely competitive project submission process and many months spent advocating tirelessly for our community, I am proud to deliver $7.9 million in Community Project Funding for Illinois' 6th district," said Rep. Sean Casten in a news release. "From addressing learning loss and combating homelessness to helping our small businesses and making it easier for folks to get to work, these investments will supercharge economic development and support the most vulnerable, making a real difference in the lives of so many in Chicagoland."
Source: Jesse Wright