Plans to repave part of Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb target August completion

DeKALB – Motorists whose southbound commute includes Annie Glidden Road at the underpass could soon see smoother roadways after DeKalb city action this week.

During its meeting Monday, the DeKalb City Council awarded a $206,050 construction services contract to Landmark Contractors, Inc. to make it happen.

“They’re required to have it completed prior to that second week of August, so prior to any student movement, activities,” City Engineer Zac Gill said. “I imagine they’ll want to go out and start right away in early May. I think it’s about a two-week project, maybe three weeks at most.”

The city last year reconstructed the pavement on the underpass at Annie Glidden Road for northbound motorists. Work was completed by late August just in time for the start of classes at Northern Illinois University.

At that time, the city had awarded a $313,000 contract to Alliance Contractors for reconstruction of the northbound pavement underneath the Union Pacific railroad trestle at Annie Glidden Road.

City Manager Bill Nicklas described the project as a success.

“Last year, we had some savings in our overall street program and we had just enough to do the northbound section,” Nicklas said. “Also, we were bound by timing when the street maintenance program was largely done. We only had about 30 days to try to get something bid, actually constructed and completed before the students came back and we tore up that vital access to the NIU campus to the Annie Glidden interchange.”

The bids have been let for the southbound portion of the project, according to the city.

Landmark Contractors was the lowest bid, city documents show.

No detour route will be necessary, Gill said.

“We’re closing the west side, but it just shifts the lanes over,” Gill said. “There’s still two-way traffic. It’s just they share one side of the viaduct, one lane each direction. So, it’s not a detour as much as it’s just kind of a lane closure, and we shift traffic over.”