Tinley Won't Have To Cut Back On Road Repairs

Tinley Park thought it was going to cut back on road repairs due to a $1 million budget shortfall, but a great deal from the contractor means it can repave all the streets it planned to.

“Essentially a project expected to cost $3.4 million is going to cost $2.4 million," Village Manager Scott Niehaus said.

During Thursday's all-day budget meeting, the village announced that, despite , it would be able to do all 14 miles of road up for repaving and do it up to the standards Tinley drivers have come to expect.

Rather than do all 54 roads to a lower standard, the village opted to ask contractors for a per-unit cost, seeing what deals contractors can provide per square yard of asphalt, per foot of curb, etc., then seeing how much road that adds up to.

Details can be found .

They figured they could get 47 of the 54 planned roads for $2.75 million. But when the bids came back, the village found it could afford to repave all 54 roads.

“We’ll be able to do all 54 streets with the money we have set aside for the pavement management program,” Public Works and Boundaries Committee Chairman Tom Staunton said.

The village has $2.418 million and it's expected to cost $2.494 million. So a $1 million shortfall became a $76,000 one, a shortfall board trustees were willing to swallow.

“I think if these bids had gone out six weeks later, it would have been a whole different picture,” Trustee Dave Seaman said.