Story posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Lee St. is open again after crews finished fixing a large hole in front of the Polo Inn. In early April, a police cruiser fell through a sink hole while an officer was checking for radio dead spots on the sidewalk.
Hole In Front Of Polo Inn Finally Filled, Street Open
The giant hole in the ground in front of the Polo Inn near Des Plaines' River-Rand 5 Corners area has finally been filled.
In early April, the sidewalk in front of the Polo Inn gave way causing a Des Plaines police vehicle to sink several feet below the surface. According to City Engineer Tim Oakley, an underground 15-inch combined sewer collapsed after dirt had been washed away over time by water from a clay service connection to the Polo Inn.
The city obtained a quick bid from Martam Construction Co. of Elgin in the amount of $125,000 to perform the repair work. When excavation began, it was learned that the combined sewer was about six feet deeper than the foundation of the Polo Inn, which required it to be relocated several feet to the east. Also, workers discovered an old concrete bridge below ground that had been built sometime in the 1930s. The bridge at that time allowed cars and pedestrians to cross Weller Creek. That portion of the creek has since been encased in a box culvert which today makes it impossible to see from the surface because it is below ground.
"We had to work around the bridge," explained Oakley. He said that the additional unexpected work will require a change order in the overall project that will result in a higher than anticipated cost.
Traffic on Lee Street south of River and Rand was blocked off to vehicles for a month before the street was reopened late last week.
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