+ California Water Main Replacement

Project Status (10/23/25)

Phase 1 (Armitage to Bloomingdale in 1st Ward)

Scheduled to start Late- October 2025 (Test holes, street cut and excavation) – Expected Water Main installation completion (44 days): Late November 2025

Phase 2 (Bloomingdale to North Ave in 26th Ward) – Expected Water Main installation duration: 40 days

Not started

Project Details

No parking signs

24-Hour “No parking” signs will be posted throughout the project limits (they will be limited to areas where active construction is happening)

Lane closure and traffic control

There will be a permanent lane closure for northbound traffic (parking and traffic lanes). The tentative detour plan is below: Detour Northbound California Avenue traffic to Eastbound North Avenue, to Northbound Western Avenue, to Westbound Armitage Avenue, and back to Northbound California Avenue. Southbound traffic will be allowed in California at all times.

Water shutdowns

All planned water main shutdowns will require a 3 day notification to the buildings involved. Contractors will make sure to share any upcoming shutdowns weekly. There is always a potential for emergency shutdowns during any of the construction phases given the old infrastructure that is in the ground and being disturbed during excavation, if such occur notifications to all involved take place right away. Some shutdowns, planned or unplanned, require “boil order” postings by the department of Water Quality.

Pipe installation

The project is divided in 2 phases (refer to breakdown above) within the limits of the project: Dry pipe installation will occur on each phase prior to any planned water shutdowns. A typical progress rate for pipe installation is of about 4-5 days per block but given the amount of utilities in close proximity we will monitor and provide a more accurate timeline.

The estimated pipe phase schedule would be from Mid-October to Late November 2025 for phase 1 and Late November 2025 to Mid-January 2026 (these dates include the duration for the water main testing activities described below and other miscellaneous items).

Water main testing

Once the dry pipe has completely been installed for each phase, testing activities takes place which normally lasts about a week. This includes pressure testing the pipe as well of disinfecting it. Additional time may be required if private drain work is needed and needs to be completed prior to any testing can occur.

Water service transfers/LSLR

Once the new pipe is approved for service in each phase the next main activity includes replacing the lead service lines for all buildings and reconnecting from the old water main to the new one. Depending on the number of water services to be transferred per block it can take the contractor about to three weeks to complete each block.

The estimated pipe phase schedule would be from Late November 2025 to Mid-January 2026 for phase 1 and Mid-January to Early-March 2026

Final connection and concrete cap

Once all buildings have been transferred to the new water main there are a few more connections that need to take place to completely abandon the old water main from the existing water network. These shutdowns do not involve water interruptions for those that are already on the new water main but might impact buildings outside the project limits although still within the Ward’s limits. Contractors will notify for all of these in advance and share the limits of those being affected.

+ Wood Street Improvements

Several pedestrian and traffic safety improvements will take place on N. Wood St. between W. Division St. and W. Augusta Blvd. in 2025. These include:

• Street resurfacing
• Curb ramp replacements
• Sidewalk and curb & gutter replacements
• Extension of the Wood St. Greenway*

Construction dates have yet to be determined and are usually provided around two weeks in advance of work. The 1st Ward Office will provide updates as they become available at our Wood Street Improvements page.

Note: Following installation of the Wood St. Greenway, N Wood St will (between Division and Augusta) be a one-way going south.

+ Hoyne Water Main Replacement

In the spring of 2025, the city will replace the 140-year old water main on Hoyne between Potomac and Cortez. Upon completion of the water main installation, all lead service lines within the limits of the newly installed main will be replaced. Restoration will follow, including full-width street resurfacing along with repair of damaged parkways and sidewalks. For more information on this project, please visit our Hoyne Water Main Replacement update page.

+ Milwaukee Bike Lanes

The Milwaukee Ave Complete Streets project is tentatively set to start Wednesday, September 25, 2024 pending coordination with utilities in the area and weather permitting. Construction will be from Logan Blvd to Western Ave and is expected to take 12 weeks.

The work will include milling the existing asphalt pavement, asphalt paving, bus pads, landscaping, bike lane improvements, bike lane medians, bike lane markings and striping.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work. This project will be managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. If you require any additional information regarding this project, please leave a message at 312-722-6590 and someone will return your call.

+ Chestnut Residential Lighting

Construction on Chestnut St from Greenview Ave to Ashland Ave is tentatively scheduled to begin the week of September 30, 2024, pending clearance from and coordination with existing utilities, current work schedule fluctuations, and weather permitting. John Burns Construction is the contractor for this project and Stanley Consultants is providing resident engineering services for the Chicago Department of Transportation. This work is part of the Chicago Residential Lighting Improvements program.

The work will include the installation of foundations, boring of underground conduits, cable pulling, the installation of new residential lighting poles with piggyback lights, LED Smart Lighting luminaires, and the restoration of concrete sidewalks and parkways disturbed by the construction. The existing light poles will be removed once the new lighting system is functioning properly.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above so that work may be performed safely. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, and residents can park normally after the posted hours and overnight, and usually all day on weekends.

The existing lights will remain working until the new lighting system is functional. If no lighting is observed at night at any time, please notify 311 or the 1st Ward Office.