Work to Begin on Virginia Street Corridor Improvement Program

Crystal Lake is gearing up for annual road construction projects starting this spring. On March 15, the city council awarded Curran Contracting Company of Crystal Lake the next phase of the Virginia Street Corridor Improvement Project from Linn Ave. to Carpenter St. at a cost of $4,295,631. IDOT will pay approximately $1,439,173 of that amount for resurfacing of Route 14 between Crystal Lake Ave. and Teckler Blvd.

“It’s a very good cooperative effort between IDOT and the city,” said Engineering Director Erik Morimoto.

The project will be funded with motor fuel tax funds, the Virginia Street TIF fund and Home Rule Sales Tax. The work is scheduled to begin in April and expected to be completed by Oct. 14.

Exterior infrastructure from the sidewalks will be replaced and will include decorative pavers and crosswalks in the roadway. Ornate pedestrian lighting, similar to that in the downtown area, will be brought to the corridor.  

McCormick Park, located in the middle of the corridor, will get a facelift too with decorative planters, sidewalks, benches and other amenities, Morimoto said.

Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce President Gary Reece told the council businesses along the corridor were excited about the improvements.

"It's been a long time coming," he said. "If it's half of what the downtown is, it will be a great project - great for Route 14 and great for the city of Crystal Lake." 

The Virginia Street Corridor Improvement Project is only one of several roadways in the city slated for construction this spring.

Pingree Road north of Route 14 will be widened to include a bidirectional turn lane from Pointe Drive to McArdle Drive, repaved to remove potholes, add a 6-foot sidewalk on the west side of the street and continue a bike path on the east side. This project is expected to go to bid in April, start construction in June and complete work by October. 

A similar project is planned for Crystal Lake Ave. between Erick and East streets. The road will be widened to allow for a bidirectional turn lane, matching what has already been done east of Erick St. A sidewalk will be placed on both sides of Crystal Lake Ave. 

Both projects will benefit from some federal funding, Morimoto said. The projects will be let out to bid in April and work should commence soon thereafter; completion dates are sometime in the fall.