Roads, bridges, sidewalks, more: What's in Urbana's proposed capital improvements plan

May 25—URBANA — The city of Urbana is tentatively including three big road projects in its new five-year capital-improvement plan.

Two of them are improvements to busy Lincoln Avenue — from Florida Avenue to Green Street and from Wascher Drive to Killarney Street — and the third is a Florida Avenue project from Wright to Hillcrest streets.

Only preliminary work — studies and plans — would begin for all three in the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1. Actual construction will be a few years down the road.

The $12 million Florida Avenue project would be under construction starting in fiscal 2026, pending a grant award.

That project is described as pavement reconstruction with new and replacement traffic signals, improved bus stops and a new shared-use path on the south side from Lincoln Avenue to Race Street.

The Lincoln Avenue project from Wascher to Killarney, which is projected to cost $10.7 million, would be under construction in fiscal 2027, also pending a grant award.

The city's plan tentatively calls for reducing the road from four lanes to three and adding a shared-use bicycle/pedestrian path or on-street bike lanes and crosswalks and improving lighting and traffic signals.

But cutting one lane of traffic is going to require some further evaluation, according to city engineer John Zeman.

"We have to verify that it is doable with the volume of traffic we have on the road," he said.

Recent traffic data has been collected, but not yet evaluated, he said.

There is also substantial pedestrian traffic in this area, and a sidewalk on only one side of the road near Bradley Avenue, Zeman said.

The start of construction on the $8.9 million Lincoln Avenue Corridor project from Florida Avenue to Green Street would begin in fiscal 2028.

That project is described only as a corridor reconstruction with safety improvements.

More details are yet to be determined, according to Zeman. A corridor study has been launched, and there will be multiple phases of public input to determine the scope of the project, he said.

A few projects that would be under construction in fiscal 2024:

* Resurfacing of Philo Road from Windsor Road to Colorado Avenue, at a cost of $1.9 million. Zeman said that project is expected to be under contract in November, with work to start next spring.

* Resurfacing of Springfield Avenue from Wright to McCullough streets at a cost of $1.5 million, also to be under contract in November with work to start next spring.

* A bridge replacement on Washington Street about a half-mile west of High Cross Road, to be done this calendar year. The current bridge has a weight limit, and when it's replaced, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District will be able to resume its normal bus route in this area, Zeman said.

A draft of the five-year capital plan, which proposes $102.9 million worth of projects through fiscal 2028, was presented to the city council Monday and will require a council vote to approve it.

The plan is a five-year roadmap of what projects the city wants to undertake on such public infrastructure as streets, sidewalks, bridges, traffic signals, lighting, sewers and public buildings — using such funding as transfers from the general operating fund, grants and sewer-use fees.

For the upcoming fiscal year, the city would spend $31.3 million on projects.

Also a highlight of the five-year plan is the construction of two new fire stations for $11.5 million, including land acquisition, to replace old and outdated facilities.

City officials are inviting the public to weigh in on the plan. The draft can be viewed at bit.ly/UrbanaCapitalPlan. Comments and questions can be emailed by June 19 to Zeman at jczeman@urbanaillinois.us.