Harlem Avenue Construction

On March 24, 2025, the Illinois Department of Transportation began construction on Harlem Road from 77th Street to 79th Street, in Bridgeview, IL. This is reportedly to make the streets more "ADA-compliant." While the reason for this construction is understandable, their methods are not.

To truly understand the intended point, study the pictures included in this report. First, you will notice that the exits onto Harlem for two apartments and a business have been closed off. For one building, the exit has been closed off twice, both times without prior notice. There is a pathway that leads to another exit, but what if one of their trucks was parked on this narrow pathway, as the workers have done before? The residents would have no other way to exit so that they can go to work, school, or appointments.

Now, look at the curb cuts at all 4 sections of the intersection at 79th Street and Harlem Avenue. They are all broken apart, and there is no way a person with a disability, especially with a wheelchair, can cross the street. What are these people supposed to do: walk another block or stay home?

Next there are deep pits at these construction sites, but where are the guardrails to protect pedestrians? All it takes is a reckless child or a careless adult buried in a cellular phone to walk by and fall in, and the State of Illinois would be liable for injuries incapacitations, and, in worst cases, wrongful death. This is especially a risk considering the exposed pipes in these pits.

If this were not calamitous enough, there was a case of a worker parking in a private parking lot without permission. Perhaps they thought that putting a construction vest in a window would give them carte blanche to park wherever they wanted, but this is undoubtedly false. All it takes is a call to the towing company to teach them a valuable lesson.

Indeed, while the purpose of this construction is commendable, if not laudable, the efforts so far are rather slovenly. It shows little regard for the rights and safety of others, as if they have forgotten that people actually reside or work on Harlem Avenue. Perhaps R.W. Dunteman Co. should pay close attention to the concerns listed here and find better ways to handle the duration of the project, training their staff better and implementing safety measures.

Moreover, they, along with other construction companies, should apply common sense and build/construct things piece-by-piece instead of all at once. Additionally if they are going to break apart curb cuts and sidewalks, they need to do one at a time and repair them within 24 hours. As for their equipment and vehicles, their workers need to keep them off private driveways. If workers need places to park their personal vehicles, they should park on side streets like Neva or Oconto. Perhaps the Village Hall can give them passes to park in the one of the vacant spots in what was once a mall, or perhaps the owner of Niko's can give them permission to park in their vast parking lot. If the workers would rather not walk 1-2 blocks to the construction site, there is always Pace. It is not the responsibility of the residents to provide parking for them. It's time for R.W. Dunteman Co. to practice decency and respect for those who are supposed to benefit from this project: those whose taxes keep them in business. After all, Bridgeview is our town - not theirs.