Over the past few years, Bridgeview has invested millions of dollars into improving the infrastructure of the Village. These investments have included resurfacing, repainting, and updating water tanks, repaving roads, replacing curbs, and replacing sewer lines. The latest step designed to continually improve Bridgeview is a sidewalk-leveling program approved by the Village Board of Trustees in 2023.
Trustee Gary Lewis, Chairman of the Public Works Committee, reports that Bridgeview is trying a new solution for uneven sidewalks. Previously, the only solution was replacement, but with rising costs for material and labor, new ideas need to be utilized to more efficiently produce results from our tax dollars.
It all starts with finding the right sidewalk squares–ones that can be releveled. Then comes marking them, drilling holes, and, finally, injecting mortar into those holes in order to raise the lower end of the square. When done correctly the process will produce a perfectly level sidewalk! It may not sound like much, but the results Bridgeview has seen are truly remarkable. Sections of sidewalks that would have been torn out and re-poured have been saved by the new method. The cost to level is a fraction of the tear out and re-pour solution and is definitely a win for our community. Recently, 80th Place from the tracks extending west to Roberts road was completed, and the reviews were all positive.
As Trustee Lewis points out, “This method can’t fix all sidewalk problems. The squares need to be unlevel but unbroken, and they must become level with adjacent squares when completed.” Despite this, the results have been great and affordable. “Another street or two will be done before the cold weather sets in, and then we will determine the plan for 2024,” concluded Trustee Lewis.