Oak Brook is planning a $4.68 million water main replacement project for the Briarwood subdivision in the village.
Staff has been OK’d by the Village Board to seek bids on the project, which is expected to start by early April 2024, said Timothy O’Malley, Oak Brook’s interim public works director.
“The startup will depend on the weather and if there are supply chain issues that could cause a delay,” he said.
O’Malley said the project is planned now because there have been numerous breaks in the water main serving Briarwood over the past few years.
“This project is a coordinated effort between the village and the homeowners association to delay their own roadway project while the village schedules the water main replacement,” he said.
The existing water main serving Briarwood was originally installed in the mid-1960s, and no other major improvements have been made to this system, O’Malley said. The project will affect approximately 200 residential properties.
The project scope consists of replacing and/or rehabilitating 12,100 feet of failing water main, while also replacing 26 hydrants, 26 valve vaults, and 200 residential services.
“Alternatives for replacement of the 7,200 feet of existing 6-inch water main with a new 8-inch main and retiring of the old main will be part of the evaluation process,” O’Malley said. “Water main will also be constructed to eliminate the dead end and create a looped system at Briarwood Circle and all other cul-de-sacs.”
O’Malley said the project is scheduled to, and must be, completed by March 31, 2025, in order to accommodate the Briarwood Homeowner’s Association’s road resurfacing project that year.
“The residents of Briarwood Lakes will be able to enjoy life without having to deal with disruption in the water system,’ he said. “They will also benefit from having a looped water main system with the removal of all dead-end sections of the water main.”
O’Malley said the Briarwood Lakes Homeowners Association and the Oak Brook Public Works department worked together to coordinate the project.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
