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Fullerton Streetscape 'Coming To A Conclusion' With New Pavement

By Ted Cox | November 17, 2016 4:13pm
 The Fullerton Streetscape project is in the final phase of construction with resurfacing of the street Thursday and Friday.
The Fullerton Streetscape project is in the final phase of construction with resurfacing of the street Thursday and Friday.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

LINCOLN PARK — The $5.5 million Fullerton Avenue streetscape project is "coming to a conclusion" with resurfacing of the street Thursday and Friday between Racine and Ashland avenues.

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation plans, it's considered the end of the construction phase of the project, extending a half-mile between Ashland and Racine avenues.

"After that, they're pretty much done," said Christian Ficara, spokesman for Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd).

There's still plenty of work to be done on the finishing touches, however, to include new trees and tree gates, decorative crosswalks, updated lighting for both cars and pedestrians and rain gardens and planters.

The project has been on schedule, though, and continues to be for completion by the middle of next month.

According to Ficara, they even intend on planting trees on the way to finishing construction Dec. 13. "They'll wait for the spring for anything else," he added.

There's still a little work to be done on the finishing touches, as construction crews pour sidewalk on Thursday. (DNAinfo/Ted Cox)

The work included a complete teardown of the street, right down to old train tracks that had to be removed, widening of the sidewalk and new designated bike lanes.

Hopkins, one of three aldermen with wards bridging or bordering the project, touted that it is "coming to a conclusion" in a neighborhood notice this week. It also warned of traffic delays during the two days of resurfacing.

Hopkins has said it should spur investment in the area, with some businesses now able to consider sidewalk cafes where they previously couldn't due to the width of the sidewalk.

Aldermen Michele Smith (43rd) and Scott Waguespack (32nd) are the others with territory in play in the project.

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