A Special E-News Message from the Village of River Forest
August 28, 2020
School Zone Traffic Restrictions In Effect - One-Way Streets, Parking
Please note that all “School Day” one-way street traffic patterns and parking restrictions in and around schools (both private and public) will be in effect and enforced during all school days this year – regardless of remote learning. This is in an effort to provide consistency and safety in our school zones for students, staff and faculty that will still be traveling to school buildings.
Sections of LeMoyne Street, Park Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Ashland Avenue, Oak Avenue and Jackson Avenue become one-way streets on school days between 7:30AM and 4PM. The sections are identified with “DO NOT ENTER” and “ONE-WAY” signs. Please remember to obey road signage at all times.
ComEd Outage Preparedness
Due to the possibility of severe weather going into the weekend, ComEd has begun managing crews to be prepared to deal with any outages as they may occur. Should outages occur, ComEd is ready to respond as soon as it would be safe for the crews to begin restoration efforts. ComEd has shared the following information regarding power outages:
- When responding to power outages caused by storms, ComEd’s priority is to restore as many customers as quickly as possible while also recognizing the need to restore critical facilities, such as nursing homes and hospitals.
- Tree and pole damage can take longer to repair as it takes time to safely clear out debris in impacted areas and bring in equipment so repairs can be made.
- Customers who are out of their homes but want to keep track of their outage can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report their outage and receive restoration information. Customers can also follow the company on Twitter or on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest storm restoration information.
- Outages can be reported by calling 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237). For outage updates, ComEd recommends that customers use the ComEd outage map at ComEd.com/map.
- Public safety is paramount during storms. Residents should be vigilant when venturing outside and stay at least 20 feet away from downed power lines. They should be considered live and dangerous. If you encounter a downed line, please call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1, and ComEd will dispatch someone to secure the area.
Water Main Upgrades on Keystone
Starting the week of September 8, the water main contractor will be mobilizing to the project site at Keystone Avenue, between Lake Street and Hawthorne Avenue. Work will include the installation of an 8” water main along the west side of the roadway and will drastically improve the flow of water between the north and south sides of the railroad tracks. This work is anticipated to take approximately 5 days to complete, pending cooperative weather. Beginning September 14, the contractor will re-mobilize over to Franklin Avenue. Work at this location will include the installation of a 12” water main in the southbound lane of Franklin Avenue from Central Avenue to Hawthorne Avenue, which will also help to improve the flow of water between the north and south sides of the railroad tracks. The duration of this portion of the project is only anticipated to take 3-4 days, again pending cooperative weather. There will be rolling street closures and detours based on the specific location of the crews, and the Village will provide frequent updates with detailed detour routes as the work progresses. It is advised that each of these areas be avoided as much as possible during the impacted timeframes.
While these critical improvement projects will cause inconveniences for the travelling public, Village Staff is in constant communication with the contractor to scrutinize the sequencing of work in an effort to ensure the most efficient process is followed and the impacts to the travelling public are minimized as much as possible. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during these impacts.
River Forest Train Station Platform Improvements
Starting on Monday, August 31, the Union Pacific Railroad will begin mobilizing to the River Forest Train Station to begin long-awaited platform improvements. Beginning Monday, August 31, the western half of the station's inbound (north) platform will be closed. During this time, Metra customers will initially be able to access the north platform from the eastern stairs. When the western portion of the platform is complete, work will transition to the eastern half and customers will need to use the western stairs to access the platform. Signage will be posted throughout the project to direct customers to the correct staircase. Customers are asked to follow the posted detour signs, be aware of the crews working in the area and all extra time to walk from their parking spots to the platform during construction.
The work will consist of removing the existing north asphalt platform and replacing it with a concrete platform and detectable warnings along the railroad tracks. The platform will also be extended to the east to better facilitate passenger loading and unloading. The project is anticipated to take 6-8 weeks to complete, weather permitting, and will be performed in two phases to accommodate passenger loading and unloading throughout. To minimize impacts to the adjacent park, material and equipment staging will be located in a portion of the commuter parking spaces on Central Avenue, just east of Keystone Avenue. Union Pacific construction crews will move between the platform and the staging area via a blocked off path to minimize any conflicts with vehicles or pedestrians. These areas will be blocked off on Monday at the onset of construction activity.
AROUND RIVER FOREST
Still looking for more River Forest info? Click below.
River Forest Community Calendar – RFHappenings.com
Village of River Forest
River Forest School District 90
OPRF High School District 200
River Forest Park District
River Forest Public Library
River Forest Township
