Algonquin, LITH Algonquin Road Repairs To Be Intermittent

Ominous signs warning of lane closures beginning Oct. 1 appeared this week along Algonquin Road in Algonquin and Lake in the Hills but McHenry County Division of Transportation officials  told FEN Thursday that disruptions scheduled to start Monday won't be as bad as the signs suggest. "It won't be everywhere every day," said MDCOT Design Manager Wally Dittrich.

Dittrich estimated it will take "two to four weeks" to repair storm sewer grates along Algonquin Road from Route 31 west to Lakewood Road. During July's extreme heat, "The curb popped up on us," said Dittrich, pushing some of the storm sewer grates proud of the surface.  That's not a huge problem now but, come Winter, it will be.  Imagine snagging the blade of a five-ton snowplow on an iron grate at 30 or 40 miles an hour.  "It's not something you want to be doing," said Dittrich.

Repairs require cutting out the buckled sections holding the grates, pouring new concrete and, here's the long part, waiting for it to cure.  "We're trying to keep it out of rush hour," Dittrich said.

In the pic:  Heat-buckled concrete's pushed some sewer grates up above the curb level along MCDOT's part of Algonquin Road.