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A successful program this spring to have some sidewalks checked and, if needed, fixed to get rid of tripping hazards from uneven surfaces, is being expanded.
The spring work by Safe Step LLC included the inspection of sidewalks along Burlington Avenue, east of Prospect Avenue, and then north along Prospect to Chicago Avenue, said Public Works Director Brendan McLaughlin.
“The segment was just over one mile, and 138 unsafe sidewalk panels were remediated through saw catting,” he said. “The contractor performed their work in a professional manner and no complaints were received.”
McLaughlin said each sidewalk cut is different and is measured based on the existing displacement. The rate paid by Clarendon Hills matched an existing contract with the Village of Westmont and is based on the amount of concrete cut, he said.
“It is equal to $38.06 for one inch of concrete removal over one foot of distance,” McLaughlin said. He added that for the pilot program, the total cost for remedying 138 trip hazards was $19,146.60.
The Village Board on Monday, July 15 approved a contract with Safe Step to complete a Sidewalk Trip Hazard Assessment and Remediation Project at the same rate of $38.06 per inch-foot of removal, in an amount not to exceed $30,000.
McLaughlin said concrete cutting has been a remedy for uneven sidewalks for quite some time.
“It has been used by other communities and is a good solution for small to medium trip hazards,” he said. “I have used contractors to cut down trip hazards in other communities where I worked, and Clarendon Hills has done some sidewalk concrete cutting in-house in recent years.”
Using this method typically allows for three or four trip hazards to be addressed for about the same cost as replacing one sidewalk square, McLaughlin said.
“It is done mainly to address trip hazards,” he said. “In an occasional case, it will also help to prevent puddles and ice from forming.”
The additional 2024 work will be completed later this summer or early fall, depending on the contractor’s availability, McLaughlin said.
He also said the Village plans to continue to address sidewalk trip hazards continuously.
“We hope to develop a plan to address all the trip hazards in the village on a 10-year cycle,” McLaughlin said. “We plan to alternate between north of the tracks and south of the tracks and try to keep in a continuous pattern to make the work as cost-effective as possible. The program is not designed to jump from block to block.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Originally Published:
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