Road Construction Report(s)

9/20/12 Damen from Division to Jackson is "Rough Grooved Surface." Plan accordingly.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duppie on May 19, 2013 at 8:53am

I'm a big fan of the water and sewer main replacements the city is undertaking, but I am amazed at the difference between that street and other streets where similar work happens (Lawrence, Southport, Wells, etc). On south Shore drive they fill the hole with some hot asphalt, which promptly gets destroyed by the car traffic.

How about the bike path the Google Maps shows thru Rainbow Beach park from 75th to 79th? Is that any good and safe?

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Permalink Reply by S on May 19, 2013 at 9:44am

Duppie 13.5185km said:

I'm a big fan of the water and sewer main replacements the city is undertaking, but I am amazed at the difference between that street and other streets where similar work happens (Lawrence, Southport, Wells, etc). On south Shore drive they fill the hole with some hot asphalt, which promptly gets destroyed by the car traffic.

Here, here. South shore is a mess of metal plates with some asphalt ramps and places where it looks like they slopped some tar down on the street and which has promptly sunk down an inch or two below the road.

How about the bike path the Google Maps shows thru Rainbow Beach park from 75th to 79th? Is that any good and safe?

I'll take a peak at this, but I suspect it'll be full of peds and picnickers now that the weather is pleasant. Plus it only saves about 4 blocks of crappy roads leaving you with 4 that you still need to navigate.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Fitz, Scrabblor on May 19, 2013 at 12:37pm

I'm more often a pedeatrian and picnicer at rainbow beach and will confirm that its more of a sidewalk. Think of the 70s era bike paths that we have in many of the Parks.

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Permalink Reply by S on May 19, 2013 at 1:13pm

S said:

How about the bike path the Google Maps shows thru Rainbow Beach park from 75th to 79th? Is that any good and safe?

I'll take a peek at this, but I suspect it'll be full of peds and picnickers now that the weather is pleasant. Plus it only saves about 4 blocks of crappy roads leaving you with 4 that you still need to navigate.

Checked it out and you can't hope on the bike path due to construction on the south end of the park obliterating the path there. However, you can go down 79th or 77th and use Farragut Dr which is nicely paved and has reasonable connections to S Shore Dr. It also lets you avoid most of the ripped up road.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on May 19, 2013 at 1:22pm

Instead of going left at the South Shore Cultural Center, go right (west). Take a left at Jeffrey Blvd (south). Take a left at 95th(east). Proceed to Calumet Park. Of course, I should tell you I don't know if Jeffrey Blvd is experiencing the same type of road/utility work that South Shore is.

Duppie 13.5185km said:

South Shore Drive from 71st to 79th is absolutely horrendous to ride. A boneshaker if i ever saw one. I rode it 3 times in the last month and it seems to get worse every time.

Does anyone have safe alternatives from the end of the Lake front trail to Calumet Park and Burnham greenway?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Fitz, Scrabblor on May 19, 2013 at 5:28pm

Jeffrey is only under construction at 75th... for now

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 20, 2013 at 3:36am

...the entirety of the south side is having the water lines ripped out...

Um, not quite. In any given year it's patchwork just like it's been in other areas of the city.

...fortuitous that the city timed red line reconstruction with the red line shutdown.

Yeah, aren't we lucky? ;)

I've usually used Jeffery and/or Yates to bypass the craters of South Shore, then east on 83rd to Burley to continue south. With construction at Jeffery and 75th (as mentioned earlier in this thread), I'd just take the lakefront route to 71st, then continue south on Yates from the Cultural Center.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Fitz, Scrabblor on May 20, 2013 at 6:43am

Apologies for any exagerration. Of course the whole southside isn't really under construction that would require hiring less politically connected contractors! (C; on a lighter note it seems really exciting for toddlers and other bulldozer fans.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on May 23, 2013 at 3:59am

Any reports on Milwaukee? Dan Brown noted that there was some asphalt around Grand, and I could see asphalt heading northwest from Kinzie. With the wind forecast for this afternoon I am thinking I might want to take the shortest distance between two points!

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on May 23, 2013 at 4:36am

As of this morning, Milwaukee was still completely torn up around Elston & Chicago. Further south, the outside lanes have asphalt between Kinzie & Grand, if my memory is correct. And some of the new bike lane was painted on the SB side, I think that was between Chicago and Erie. If someone else's memory is better, I am happy to stand corrected!