An amendment recently approved by the City Council to the Adler Road expansion and drainage project is doubling the original estimated cost.
That authorization will increase the contract amount from about $1.6 million to $3.2 million, officials said.
City Engineer Abigail Knott told the council during a May 14 session “additional design and construction phase support … is a necessary enhancement” to the project.
“There were opportunities that came to the forefront that we really believed we needed to take advantage of” to improve the corridor, she added.
Adler Road involves two betterments — a low-water crossing and road widening. Freese and Nichols is the design firm for both.
The amendment included a price increase of $131,064 for the culvert project and $1,366,805 to widen the lanes.
“That will increase the contract amount from about $1.6 million to $3.2 million,” Knott said.
The drainage project is funded through the stormwater utility fund and cost-sharing with Kendall County, the council heard. The culvert project is expected to be completed in August.
The roadway initiative is in the preliminary design stage. Knott said the city hopes it is completed in early 2027.
The amendment includes a roundabout improvement at Plant Street, designed to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, Officials said factors driving up the price included:
• Additional telecommunication lines that need to be coordinated.
• Sewer and water upgrades.
• Improving access to Northside Park.
• Additional low- impact development.
• Additional drainage improvements.
Councilman Joseph Macaluso said much of the $229,000 roadway project increase is for additional rights-of-way acquisition.
“We know we want to be ahead of the game for the larger projects because we’d like that to go as smoothly and quickly as possible,” the city engineer said.
