Don’t look now, but it’s March. Spring officially arrives in less than three weeks, on the 20th. And you know what season comes next? Yep, street construction season. For those of you dealing with PTSD – post-traumatic streets disorder – from 2022, rest assured this year won’t be that bad, probably. After all, we will […]
As street construction projects around northern Illinois have been interrupted by a labor strike that has cut off supplies of materials, Woodstock has been spared – so far. “Not yet,” Christina Betz, the city’s executive director of operations, said of any delays. “We’re not expecting that to last. We’re taking it day by day.” Woodstock […]
As a 10-plus-year resident of Woodstock, I have dealt with our increasingly degenerating streets on a daily basis. As the driver of a really old car, I’ve cringed when hitting the bad stretches. … hoping nothing would fall off! With federal funding for small towns no longer available, Mayor [Brian]Sager did his best to prevent […]
Progress is often inconvenient, even messy. That pretty much describes Woodstock these days, where “construction zone” signs might reasonably be posted at the city limits as a warning. But that is just a sign things are being improved around town. By coincidence, several major projects that are overdue are being undertaken at the same time, […]
Christina Betz had good news and bad news about construction of what she called the “Madison Street” roundabout at Lake Avenue and South Street. The work, which has closed a main entry point into downtown Woodstock, won’t take the full seven months to complete Woodstock’s first circular intersection. “We anticipate the project will not go […]
Casual conversation, especially among strangers, tends to center on things people have in common: the weather, family, holidays. Around Woodstock these days, another popular topic is our preferred routes for getting between the Square and Route 47. Do you use Judd Street? Calhoun? Dean to Kimball? We don’t mind telling you that we at The […]
Money earmarked for 2023 street improvements in Woodstock will be used to cover higher-than-expected costs for work this year. Plote Construction of Hoffman Estates was the lowest of three bidders for 2022 street reconstruction at $12.87 million. That same company received an $8.3 million contract for street resurfacing in 2020. The City Council awarded the […]
Bids will be received this week for what is expected to be more than $13 million in Woodstock street improvements this year. Christina Betz, the city’s director of Public Works, said the bid process was being accelerated in an effort to “get the most favorable prices” from contractors. City Council will consider a contract at […]
About a year from now, Woodstock should have 25 street segments newly rebuilt and/or resurfaced in an estimated $12 million resumption of the city’s enhanced street improvement program. The City Council last week approved a $1.1 million contract for construction engineering and inspection by Hampton, Lenzini, and Renwick Inc. of Elgin. That firm already had […]
Woodstock streets will get $12 million worth of work next year as the city resumes the aggressive street improvement program that was interrupted this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. And higher property taxes will pay for the work. The project cost will be $58.6 million through 2025, with the property tax increasing by $226.19 on […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
