The Homewood Village Board approved the bid award from K Brothers Fence of Mokena for the removal and replacement of the sidewalk railing near the 183rd Street viaduct on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
When presented to the board on Sept. 10, the bid was originally rejected because it exceeding the budget, which was $175,000.
Now, the award was approved in the amount of $52,791. This includes the additional cost for 10 replacement panels, which cost $240 each.
The purpose of the railing is meant to protect pedestrians from going into the roadway. The metal fence is located on 183rd street and is 810 feet long.
The current railing is rusted and falling apart. After the evaluation of other possible solutions for the railing, staff concluded that aluminum would work best for the project, according to Joshua Burman, director of public works.
This is due to the fact that aluminum is more elastic than steel, which will make it hold up longer, especially in cold weather. Aluminum has a powder coated finish, which prevents cracking, blistering, peeling, or rusting from occurring – unlike steel, which corrodes. Besides occasionally needing a power wash, it will not require any other maintenance or touch-ups, which will be more economical, Burman said.
Once the current steel railing is demolished, a 42-inch aluminum fence will be installed on the north and south sides of 183rd street, along pedestrian walkways, said Burman. The project will be funded through the remaining 2020 bond funds.
