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Brumley Drive reconstruction offers relief to residents

A garage on the south side of Brumley Drive half a block east of Bruce shows deterioration that village officials say was caused by flooding. The Brumley Drive improvement project will include installation of new storm sewers along part of the street. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)

Excitement was heard, along with sighs of relief, when residents met with Flossmoor village staff and project engineers to learn about developments for the Brumley Drive Project. 

The project could start in March or April and will include resurfacing the street from Sterling Avenue to Perth Avenue. From Perth to Bruce Avenue, the street will get a complete reconstruction, with new curb and gutter and roadway pavement, Flossmoor Public Works Director John Brunke said. He expects the construction work to take three to four months.

Additionally, a large-scale storm sewer will be added to the road to improve drainage and significantly improve stormwater collection. The aim is to prevent stormwater from accumulating in streets, basements and other public areas. 

“We’ve been working on this project for a year; it’s been a long time coming. Brumley Drive will no longer carry the title of worst street in Flossmoor,” Brunke said.

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Village staff, engineers and resident discuss plans for the Brumley Drive improvements at an open house on Feb. 20.
(Nuha Abdessalam/H-F Chronicle) 

A Flossmoor resident since 2009, Amie Day was the first to arrive at the a Feb. 20 open house program and was pleased to learn about the road improvements. 

“This has been a long time coming, and we’re so excited. It’s a joyous day for us to know it’s happening,” said Day. “This has been an issue for our home since my family and I moved in; the road and our property have been damaged by flooding all these years. Our sidewalks on our driveway have been a flooding field.”

The family’s garage has been heavily impacted due to the inability to control the stormwater that has flooded the family’s driveway and garage for years. Flossmoor village initiatives included placing drains on the street to help alleviate the water damage.

Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson said, “This is exciting for our community and residents. Finally in our centennial year to be re-doing Brumley Drive, coincidentally named after our first mayor of Flossmoor, D.J. Brumley. 

“We’ve all been excited, and residents Amie & Zachery Day have been greatly impacted by having their garage slowly wear away to nothing; they’re missing planks, and the bottom of the garage is not functional because of all the water damage,” said Nelson. An ongoing problem for the family is having no control over the stormwater, preventing them from remodeling their garage.

The Brumley Project will help the look and aesthetic of the neighborhood and increase property values. Day said, “It’s a narrow street, and many are not aware of how much traffic it gets; people have always seen it as a cut-through from Sterling to Heather, and the wear and tear shows. This will be safer for our town, too.” 

Brunke shared the details of the upcoming project and recently approved contract with Iroquois Paving Corp. of Watseka, Ill., for the construction work. 

“We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback” to the plans, Brunke said, “with a focus on precisely the east end of the street from Perth Avenue to Sterling Avenue” and the village’s plan to completely rebuild the western end of Perth Avenue to Bruce Avenue. 

Brumley Drive reconstruction offers relief to residents

By Nuha Abdessalam

Excitement was heard, along with sighs of relief, when residents met with Flossmoor village staff and project engineers to learn about developments for the Brumley Drive Project. 

The project could start in March or April and will include resurfacing the street from Sterling Avenue to Perth Avenue. From Perth to Bruce Avenue, the street will get a complete reconstruction, with new curb and gutter and roadway pavement, Flossmoor Public Works Director John Brunke said. He expects the construction work to take three to four months.

Additionally, a large-scale storm sewer will be added to the road to improve drainage and significantly improve stormwater collection. The aim is to prevent stormwater from accumulating in streets, basements and other public areas. 

“We’ve been working on this project for a year; it’s been a long time coming. Brumley Drive will no longer carry the title of worst street in Flossmoor,” Brunke said.

A Flossmoor resident since 2009, Amie Day was the first to arrive at the a Feb. 20 open house program and was pleased to learn about the road improvements. 

“This has been a long time coming, and we’re so excited. It’s a joyous day for us to know it’s happening,” said Day. “This has been an issue for our home since my family and I moved in; the road and our property have been damaged by flooding all these years. Our sidewalks on our driveway have been a flooding field.”

The family’s garage has been heavily impacted due to the inability to control the stormwater that has flooded the family’s driveway and garage for years. Flossmoor village initiatives included placing drains on the street to help alleviate the water damage.

Graphic of Brumley Drive Project layout at open house at Flossmoor village hall on Feb. 20. (Nuha Abdessalam/H-F Chronicle) 

Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson said, “This is exciting for our community and residents. Finally in our centennial year to be re-doing Brumley Drive, coincidentally named after our first mayor of Flossmoor, D.J. Brumley. 

“We’ve all been excited, and residents Amie & Zachery Day have been greatly impacted by having their garage slowly wear away to nothing; they’re missing planks, and the bottom of the garage is not functional because of all the water damage,” said Nelson. An ongoing problem for the family is having no control over the stormwater, preventing them from remodeling their garage.

The Brumley Project will help the look and aesthetic of the neighborhood and increase property values. Day said, “It’s a narrow street, and many are not aware of how much traffic it gets; people have always seen it as a cut-through from Sterling to Heather, and the wear and tear shows. This will be safer for our town, too.” 

Brunke shared the details of the upcoming project and recently approved contract with Iroquois Paving Corp. of Watseka, Ill., for the construction work. 

“We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback” to the plans, Brunke said, “with a focus on precisely the east end of the street from Perth Avenue to Sterling Avenue” and the village’s plan to completely rebuild the western end of Perth Avenue to Bruce Avenue. 

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