Residents in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood are questioning the city's transportation department after the same section of sidewalk was closed for replacement twice in just two months.
The first sidewalk replacement in August was met with joy by residents near Belmont Avenue in Avondale, who long complained of tree roots and cracked concrete on the walkways.
"They poured new concrete, did the whole thing. They left. Brand new sidewalk," nearby resident A.J. LaTrace said.
Last week, nearby residents were again greeted with the noise of construction near the intersection of West Belmont Avenue and North Kimball Avenue.
"I look out the window and I see them ripping up the brand-new sidewalk they had just poured a few weeks prior," LaTrace said, who posted his frustration to X and was met with similar stories from other Chicagoans.
“Here's a small but visible example of waste in Chicago,” he wrote.
The original August sidewalk was led by 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as part of an aldermanic menu spending program.
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This week, Chicago Department of Transportation crews began road resurfacing on Belmont Avenue between Milwaukee and Kimball Avenues, digging up what had just been finished.
“Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is very upset with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which is the agency tasked with overseeing the City of Chicago’s sidewalk repair and construction work,” Ramirez-Rosa's office said in a statement. “We are disappointed that CDOT failed in its due diligence and planning for this work.”
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CDOT officials said road resurfacing projects typically don’t impact sidewalks, but this one did.
“This project required additional sidewalk work to ensure proper drainage and grading for a bus stop improvement on the north side of Belmont. This atypical situation of sidewalk replacement work being done through the Arterial Resurfacing program resulted in this conflict not being identified earlier. We are implementing a process adjustment to ensure similar situations are identified and coordinated to avoid future disruptions," a statement from CDOT said.
Chicago has city departments and staff that work to coordinate infrastructure projects and save the city millions of dollars each year.
But neighbors in Avondale are left frustrated, especially with talk of budget gaps and possible property tax hikes.
“It feels like a waste absolutely,” LaTrace said. “Maybe that could be a good place to start.”
