J&J Schlaegel, Inc. of Urbana began work Monday on the City of Urbana’s Hill Street Improvement Project, including the resurfacing of South Kenton Street between East Market Street and Hill Street.

The contractor will be reconstructing Hill Street from South Main Street to the dead end of the street. A stormwater drainage system is being installed on Hill Street, including the installation of stormwater piping and catch basins. Presently, there is no stormwater system in place on Hill Street. The existing sidewalks, drive approaches, and curb and gutter will also be replaced as part of the project. The stormwater piping system will be installed on the north side of the street under the curb. On the south side, new curb and gutter and sidewalk will be installed in order to have a full height curb that will match the north side.

Once the stormwater system has been installed, the entire length of Hill Street will be resurfaced from South Main Street eastward to the dead end of the street. In addition, South Kenton Street between East Market Street and Hill Street will also be resurfaced. The resurfacing on South Kenton Street is not anticipated to occur until Hill Street is ready to be paved.

In advance of the resurfacing on South Kenton Street, property owners have completed sidewalk, drive approach, and curb and gutter repair work. The City of Urbana appreciates the cooperation of all of the property owners who repaired and/replaced sidewalk, drive approaches, and curb and gutter on South Kenton Street.

The total project cost for the work on Hill Street and South Kenton Street is $511,787.28. The road work in the amount of $347,832.28 is being paid for by the city’s yearly share of Permissive Tax revenue (vehicle registration permissive tax) and city income tax revenue that has been paid into the city’s Capital Improvement Fund. By the City of Urbana Charter, $0.25 of every $1.00 collected in income tax revenue is required to be used for Capital Improvement needs of the City. The cost of the stormwater related improvements in the amount of $163,955.00 is being funded by the city’s Stormwater Capital Improvement Fund. In 2017, Urbana City Council enacted the Stormwater Utility by ordinance, and this project is the first major project to be funded with this new utility enterprise fund. By ordinance, no more than 30 percent of the stormwater fund revenues are to be allocated to operations; the balance has to be allocated for capital improvement projects such as the project to improve Hill Street.

Hill Street will be a one way street eastbound between South Main Street and South Kenton Street during the construction work. Furthermore, parking restrictions will be posted within work areas, and vehicles parked in violation will be towed. The contractor is required to reconstruct one side of the roadway prior to moving to the other side of the roadway.

Construction is anticipated to be completed on or before October 31, 2019.