ROUTE 23 & I-90 UTILITY EXPANSION: Phase 1 Complete, Phase 2 Awarded
Following the City Council meeting on July 13th, we have a major milestone to share on the Route 23 corridor! Phase 1 is officially in the ground, and the Phase 2 contract has been formally awarded.
Here is the breakdown of the progress, the route, and what it took to get here:
📍 Phase 1 Wrap-Up: What Went In and Where Phase 1 builds the infrastructure backbone from the existing City system near US 20 / Grant Highway, running south along Meyer Road, Pleasant Grove Road, and IL Route 23, terminating right around the Unilock facility area.
Phase 1 successfully installed:
- 💧 Water Main: Approximately 3.3 miles of 12-inch diameter water main.
- 🚽 Gravity Sanitary Sewer: Approximately 3.0 miles of 12-inch diameter gravity sanitary sewer.
- ⚡ Force Main & Lift Station: Approximately 1.0 mile of 8-inch diameter sanitary force main and the brand-new Meyer Road Lift Station.
That is more than 7 miles of brand-new pipe, plus all associated manholes and fire hydrants!
Current Status: All underground main installation is 100% complete, and crews have finished final grading, seeding, and surface restoration. Over the next two weeks, crews are conducting final system pressure testing. Once testing data is complete, we will submit our application to the Illinois EPA (which issues same-day operating permits for this type of project) to officially bring these lines online. You can see this marked as the completed 2026 line on the map.
🦇 Environmental Protection & Smart Engineering Laying heavy infrastructure across miles of varied terrain takes serious problem-solving behind the scenes:
- Protecting Bats & Nesting Birds: The IDNR restricts tree removal between April 1 and October 31 to protect nesting birds and local bat species, including the Northern Long-Eared Bat. To stay compliant and keep the project moving, McMahon’s licensed ecologist surveyed the entire route. We identified 43 trees with suitable roosting habitat and safely removed them before the restricted season began—protecting local wildlife while keeping construction perfectly on schedule.
- Navigating Undocumented Field Drains: Much of the corridor crosses agricultural fields where historical drain tiles were known to exist but were never formally mapped. Several tiles conflicted with our planned utility alignment. The most challenging was a massive 12-inch tile flowing at full capacity. Because continuous pumping couldn’t keep up, our engineers quickly adapted—temporarily plugging the tile, swiftly installing the utilities, and immediately restoring the agricultural drainage back to full service without disrupting the local farms.
🚀 Phase 2: Officially Awarded and Ready to Go We are maintaining maximum momentum. Picking up right where Phase 1 leaves off at Unilock:
- The Work Ahead: Phase 2 will install approximately 16,000 linear feet of watermain and 10,000 linear feet of sanitary sewer directly along the Route 23 corridor, pushing service all the way to Anthony Road near I-90. You can see this on the map as Phase 2 Water and Phase 2 Sanitary Sewer.
- Bidding Success: The City received 6 highly competitive bids opened on June 30th.
- The Award: The City Council officially awarded the contract to the low bidder, Kelsey Excavating, Inc., at approximately $4.8 million on July 13, 2026.
💰 Why This Matters for Your Tax Bill As we shared in April, this corridor project has been years in the making because an interstate interchange alone does not automatically bring economic development. Major employers need shovel-ready sites that are already plugged into full city water and sewer.
By securing state funds, including the $4.6 million Regional Site Readiness grant awarded earlier this year, we are finishing this massive infrastructure project with $0 in capital debt service charged to existing residents. Expanding our commercial and industrial base at I-90 successfully spreads the cost of funding schools and city services, providing long-term property tax relief to local homeowners.
🗺️ Follow the Map!
- Yellow: Phase 1 Water and Sanitary Sewer construction completed in 2026
- Green / Blue: Newly awarded Phase 2 Water and Sanitary Sewer to Anthony Road
- Purple: Future Phase 3 trajectory to the tollway corridor (estimated completion end of 2027)
We will continue posting updates directly to our website as Phase 2 gets underway. For background on funding and the full corridor plan, visit: https://www.cityofmarengo.com/whats-happening-at-route-23-i-90-an-update-on-our-progress/
📬 Questions? Email us directly at: marengopublicworks@cityofmarengo.com
