worst road , in town ,” Cole said of Section Street between Fairchild and Williams streets before its recent rehabilitation .
Crews put down three inches of asphalt on a concrete base because the road was deteriorated .
Cole said he has a few “ worst roads ” on his list . He spends time evaluating how much work is needed on certain roads and which ones take the highest priority , always keeping the department ’ s budget in mind .
Some of the roads that end up being the worst roads are actually privately owned , too , Cole said , which limits the city ’ s ability to repair them .
“ We don ’ t technically have a responsibility or a legal right to go repair ( privately owned roads ),” he said . “ We ’ re trying to sort that all out and get a better handle on things . I know the people that live on those routes don ’ t like that answer because they didn ’ t know they lived on a private road .”
Heavy equipment removes large chunks of previous roadway at Voorhees and Jackson streets as road alignment continues . Photo by Hannah Shillo
Pedestrian Improvements
Pedestrian improvements have been on Cole ’ s radar for some time now , he said .
He said the department recently submitted a proposal for the Rebuild Illinois Main Street and Downtown Capital Program for $ 3 million .
The goal with this grant is to use the funds to rebuild sidewalks and roadways along downtown portions of Walnut , Harrison , Madison and Hazel streets all through the downtown corridor .
“ If you ’ re not handicapped or elderly or pushing a stroller , you can walk it , but it ’ s not really set up for user-friendliness ,” Cole said , adding that many curbs and sidewalks in the area are outdated or falling apart . “ We haven ’ t heard anything on that yet . I think like most things they ’ re behind schedule .” Six months is about the average length of time to hear back about a grant . However , agencies are likely overwhelmed with the volume of grant proposals with extra opportunities from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law , Rebuild Illinois money , American Rescue Plan Act funds and the like .
“ You never submit a grant and expect to actually hear back by the time frame they say anyway , but it ’ s definitely been quite a bit slower ,” Cole said . They submitted the grant proposal in early May and are expecting to hear back soon .
Cole said he ’ s been told by others in the department that the volume of road work in this one construction season alone is “ a lot .” His response was that this should be the standard for each year , if not adding more in the years to come .
“ Road construction ’ s inconvenient , but it ’ s a sign of progress and that ’ s how you get the nice amenities and the nice roads and the nice sidewalks ,” he said . “ That ’ s something that we ’ ll become more patient with and more tolerant of because we ’ ll see the fruits of it , and that should be something I think maybe we just weren ’ t accustomed to because there wasn ’ t a lot getting done . I ’ m ready to change that .”
He added that in three to four years from now , it will be difficult for someone to find a road in the city that has not been touched , whether that ’ s maintained , repaired or fully reconstructed .
Keeping Danville residents in mind when prioritizing what work needs done and where , Cole said he often thinks about the impact infrastructure has on people ’ s mentality about themselves .
“ When you drive in your own neighborhood , it makes you feel either good or bad about where you are ,” Cole said . “… Regardless of what neighborhood you ’ re in , infrastructure is important . There are people with lower incomes in some areas and less resources , but infrastructure can give them hope . It can show them that people believe in them and that they ’ re worth it still . That is something that gives me a lot of joy in doing this , regardless of what neighborhood you ’ re in .”
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