Back in May, the Edwardsville City Council approved the reconstruction of Grand Avenue, but a change order for the project is now needed, as remnants of Old Poag Road were found.

Public Works Director Eric Williams explained that while crews were excavating within the roadway, they encountered some concrete pavement underneath the roadway on the city's section and the township's section of the project.

While completing the design portion of the project for the storm sewer, cores were done and no pavement was found. Williams said those areas already had the concrete removed from previous work.

"What we are removing are sections of concrete that were not previously removed. The concrete is in conflict with the proposed improvements, so we do have to move it," Williams said.

With the concrete in place, proper grade could not be made.

The concrete was found on a section of Rose Avenue and it is believed to be part of Old Poag Road.

The change order to Kamadulski Excavating and Grading Co. is for $15,675.

According to the change order, 1,000 square feet of concrete will be removed on Rose and Grand Avenues. In addition, five working days will be added to the contract, extending total length of the contract from 75 days to 80 days.

A motion and second were made and the contract was approved unanimously.

Meanwhile, the council also approved eight contracts for materials needed by the Public Works Department for the completion of asphalt patching, sidewalk repairs, pothole patching and other work.

Originally posted here:
Old roadway throws city a curve

DIXON Next week marks the 10th week of the downtown streetscape project.

For the first time since the start of the project, both lanes of traffic on First Street, between Hennepin and Galena avenues, will be open to traffic, but temporary closures will soon be needed for landscaping and sidewalk work near Galena Avenue.

Click here for a map of the streetscape work and closed roads in Dixon.

According to the engineering companies:

The south side of First Street, between Galena and Ottawa avenues, will be closed for water main installation. The north side might be closed temporarily for work, but access toFifth Third Bank will remain open.

On First Street, between Ottawa and Crawford avenues, work is expected to include curb and gutter and sidewalk installation.

Work on the sidewalks on Peoria Avenue, between First and Third streets, is expected to be substantially completed, with the exception of the area in front of the Telegraph building.(The entrance to the office, for now, then, is in the alley between the Telegraph and C&N Supply.)

On Peoria Avenue, between First and Second streets, expected work for the week includes pouring parking lane pavement on the east side, electrical installations, and building vault work at the Telegraph office.

Water service connectionsare planned for First Street, between Peoria and Hennepin avenues, which will require temporary service interruptions that the engineering firm said will be coordinated with property owners.

The south side of the street will remain closed and the north side of the street will be temporally closed at times for some water service work, according to information from the engineering companies.

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First Street portion to fully reopen Monday in Dixon

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WEB EXTRAS:

CSST Lightning Safety

Requirements For CSST Installation

Bonding CSST

Fire officials are warning of a possible danger in millions of homes. The warning comes after lightning struck a home in Blacklick and hit a small gas tube. Those tubes are found in homes across central Ohio.

"You could see the lightning bolts hitting," says Jeff Payette. Within seconds, he says, the initial crack of thunder sounded like a bomb going off." He saysthree bolts hit his home.

Payette and the fire department believe the lighting traveled across his gutter line, knocking out the water meter before hitting his gas meter, sending a bolt of electricity through a yellow gas tube known as CSST or corrugated stainless steel tubing.

"Absolutely I don't want this piping in my house", says Payette. He says Columbia Gas told him a hole in the gas line was caused by the volts from the lightning strike, which caused gas to fill his basement.

"As soon as I checked the basement, I heard the hissing noise and the smell was sickening", he says. His wife feared, had this happened while they were at work, their children may have walked into a home ready to explode.

"Had they opened the basement door and flipped a switch, we would have had a real tragedy on our hands", said Payettes wife, Julie.

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Homeowner Blames Faulty Gas Tubing for Gas Leak During Lighting Strike

Edgar Allan Poe comes to life in 'A Dream Within a Dream.' (Courtesy Nasreen Alkhateeb)

WASHINGTON -- Edgar Allan Poe's lifeless body has been found in a gutter, yet signs of the reclusive writer surface all over Baltimore. A team of muckraking journalists sift through the clues to find out what happened to him.

Welcome to "A Dream Within a Dream," an "immersive, transmedia production" that invites audience members to become part of the plot.

"We turn the story on its head," says co-writer, director and producer Nasreen Alkhateeb.

"It's not necessarily theater, film, dance or performance art. It's all of the above."

There is no stage and there are no seats. Instead, audience members walk through different scenes from Poe's collection and meet a cast of twisted and tragic characters.

Familiar stories include "The Raven," "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." Poe enthusiasts also have a chance to dive into more obscure poems such as "The Oval Portrait."

Each vignette in "A Dream Within a Dream" offers a clue as to how Poe might have died. Was he killed by a rival writer or a jealous lover?

History has never quite answered that question. Poe died in 1849 in Baltimore's Washington College Hospital after having disappeared for several days. Theories about the exact cause of death include excessive drinking, rabies, heart failure and murder. But details of his final days remain sketchy at best, and Poe's death will remain one of literature's greatest unsolved mysteries.

"A Dream Within a Dream," titled after a poem of the same name, uses that as its premise to immerse the audience in Poe's macabre world.

Excerpt from:
How did Edgar Allan Poe really die?

The following road projects are planned for the week of July 14-18 by the Midland County Road Commission and City of Midland Engineering Department:

City of Midland

East Ashman Street Westbound Ashman closed from Cambridge to Swede. One-way traffic only for eastbound Ashman. Detour posted.

Washington Street Southbound Washington closed from Eastlawn to Ashman. One-way traffic only for northbound Washington. Detour posted.

Partridge Lane Street reconstruction from Wackerly Street to Woodbridge Street. Closed to through traffic.

Wallen Street Street reconstruction and water main replacement from Lancaster Street to Kentwood Street. Closed to through traffic.

Rockwell Drive Southbound Rockwell closed with detour for the installation of a storm sewer to enclose roadside ditch from Kiesel to Patrick.

Elgin and Noeske streets Closed to traffic for replacement of water main on Elgin from Adelaide Street to Noeske and on Noeske from Elgin to Baker Street, as well as curb and gutter replacement, drainage structure repairs and street paving.

Midland County

Putnum Drive Drainage work west of Woodcock Road in Homer Township.

See the rest here:
Summer road projects continue

Recently, M Street was reconstructed with a Community Development Block Grant from Madison County.

The city of Edwardsville has once again received a Community Development Block Grant and this time Johnson Street will be receiving some (CDBG) much needed attention.

City Engineer Ryan Zwijack said the city has received $100,000 through the grant with the aim of making drainage improvements on Johnson Street.

The award was approved by the Madison County Board on June 18 and the official grant was awarded on July 1.

Looking ahead to the work on the street, the Public Services Committee approved preliminary engineering services with Sheppard, Morgan and Schwaab, Inc. for $25,600.

We decided to bring SMS on. Theyve done previous construction specs for us on North Main, as well they laid several CDBG projects for Madison County. Theyre very familiar with the contract documents that they see as well as what we put together. We feel they are appropriate and can do the work, Zwijack said.

Alderman Tom Butts asked what is wrong with the street.

Zwijack answered the road is an oil and chip street with drainage problems. Ditches have been filled in and the edge of the road is eroding away.

Public Works Director Eric Williams further explained the application was for drainage improvements on the street. Part of the work includes installation of curb and gutter, sidewalk and asphalt pavement.

Total expected cost of the project is $250,000 with a start date of spring of 2015.

Continued here:
City receives grant for Johnson Street project

Ameren Illinois recently completed a project on Grand Avenue to relocate 3,000 feet of gas main and associated gas services in conjunction with work the city is doing on the street.

In May, the Edwardsville City Council approved a $1,092,892 contract with Kamadulski Excavating and Grading Inc. for the complete reconstruction of the street, asphalt paving, curb and gutter repairs, storm sewer repairs, sidewalk construction, and a replacement of a water main for a portion of the street.

Because of the location of the gas lines and a larger $3.5 billion project by Ameren Illinois for energy infrastructure upgrades throughout the region, the gas lines had to be relocated.

For this particular project we are working with the city of Edwardsville to widen the road in order to accommodate their new storm sewer and water line project. So, some of our services were underneath the road and that would cause all types of problems on both ends, Marcelyn Love, spokeswoman for Ameren Illinois, said. Also on a larger scale, this is a part of a larger infrastructure improvement that we are doing throughout our territory over the next few years to build a next-generation energy delivery system.

For the work on Grand Avenue, the upgrades included the installation of plastic pipe, which is less prone to leakage making it more reliable and safer.

Love said these changes are aimed at ensuring more reliable service.

Since plastic pipe was used, Love said different equipment could be used to install the lines resulting in less damage to yards.

Instead of cutting trenches to install the pipe, workers use a boring machine and then string it through the hole under the ground.

Other benefits to this new way of installing the lines are that Ameren is able to map out other buried utilities and avoid them.

This is really beneficial not only to the residents, but to us as well, Love said. Before they would have to trench the entire way down. This way is a lot less invasive and allows them to string that pipe along for longer distances and allows them to save a lot of manpower as well."

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Ameren completes gas line relocation

CLEARLAKE, Calif. The Clearlake Planning Commission last week granted a four-year extension of a use permit with additional conditions for a subdivision project that has been put on hold for several years due to the state of economy.

The project, referred to as Monte Vista Homes, proposes development of single family homes or duplexes in the area of 3595 Old Highway 53.

Actions at the July 1 meeting also included approval of a mitigated negative declaration of environmental impact related to the project and intent to adopt such.

Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe said a notice of intent to adopt the mitigated negative declaration must be publicly noticed with a 20-day review period.

She said the resolution is to be scheduled for adoption Aug. 5 to provide sufficient time for public notice.

Additional conditions attached to the extension of the use permit concern infrastructure requirements, which applicant Owen O'Donnell said were acceptable.

Conditions pertain to drainage and run-off, flood zone regulations, lighting and clarification indicating all utilities are to be installed underground.

An amendment concerning the formation of a street maintenance district also was included in the action.

Phillipe said there are several types of districts that can be formed, each requiring an election of the property owners.

She said it is important to condition the project in such that it requires the formation of the street maintenance district prior to the selling of parcels at the time in which there is a single property owner.

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Clearlake Planning Commission grants time extension to Monte Vista Homes project

Proper gutter installation plays a very important role in the maintenance of your home. Most homeowners don't spend a lot of time thinking about their gutters, but understanding their importance may prevent you some costly home repair bills in the future.

Aluminum gutters are a great rain solution product. They are low cost, easily maintained and a long lasting solution for many homes. They are weather-resistant and maintain their integrity in cold climates. Seamless aluminum gutters will not rust and have a life expectancy of approximately 25 - 30 years.

5" Seamless k-style Gutters: are the most common gutter in North America and has a rainwater capacity of 1.2 gallons per foot. They can be used in new installations or to replace existing gutters. The traditional K-style blends in well with almost all homes. If properly cleaned and maintained, they will provide many years of trouble free service.

Gutter Hangers

Gutter hangers are brackets that interlock into the front and back of the gutter and are then screwed into the fascia under the drip edge flashing.

For standard fascia gutter installations, gutter hangers, sometimes called hidden hangers, should be installed every 24 inches. In the colder climates, you may encounter heavy ice and snow loads in the gutter. This extra weight will require hangers every 12 to 18 inches.

Gutter Screws

The gutter screws used for fastening the gutter hangers to the fascia board should be #10 x 1.5" or # 10 x 2" long cadmium, zinc or stainless steel wood grip and have a hex head for use with a 1/4" nut driver.

If you have an older home with gutters, they were most likely installed with the spike and ferrule method. A type of gutter installation in which a metal cylinder or tube is placed inside the gutter to strengthen it and keep it from bending. The spike is driven through the face of the gutter, through the ferrule and into the wood fascia board.

While the spike and ferrule method was the standard for years, most gutter installation companies have changed to some form of the gutter hanger with a screw anchoring method.

See more here:
Gutter Installation Guide by Steadman's Rain Gutters