PUBLIC WORKS
Obernuefemann Road Reconstruction
The contractor has completed most of the work on this project and will be back in 2009 to finish up. It was thought that all the asphalt paving would be completed by Thanksgiving, but Mother Nature did not cooperate. The temperature has to be 45-degrees and rising to allow asphalt work, and the days that the contractor had equipment available to do the work, it just could not be done due to weather. The contractor will be back in early spring to put the finishing touches to the project.
Water System Improvements
The new booster pump station on the west side of Fairview Heights on St. Clair Avenue is now operational and only some control work is left to be accomplished. The Kyle Road water tower is out of the ground and growing with each passing day. When the iron work is complete on that tower the workers will move to the Pausch Road site. The tower construction is on pace to be completed in October 2009.
Simmons/Porter Intersection Roundabout
 The design of the roundabout continues and may be completed in time for early funding consideration. The design is being coordinated with private development plans in the area, and should prove not only to make the intersection safer and more efficient, but also add an attractive amenity in our community.
Milburn School Road Improvements
You may have noticed that some work has been accomplished in front of the new 9th Grade Campus that OTHS is constructing on Milburn School Road. That work has been funded by OTHS. With the arrival of Spring, their contractors will be back to put a turn lane in place at the campus’ main entrance and install traffic signals. The school district’s design has been coordinated with the city’s designer of future improvements to Milburn School Road. The future improvements will be funded under a federal grant.
Stormwater 2008
It was a year of baby steps in stormwater drainage work, but progress was made.
• The old railroad ditch along the west side of the Illini Bike Trail was cleaned out after years of sedimentation. A six-foot by five-foot box culvert was cleaned out underneath the trail and a 400-foot section of Engle Creek was cleaned of debris snags. This should provide years of better drainage of the area. 
• A perennial flooding problem along Vanderbilt was addressed. The existing pipes were undersized, choked with roots, and disintegrating. New piping was threaded between the existing homes and new inlets provided. The new work is no guarantee that the streets will not flood during intense rains, but the severity should be dramatically decreased in most situations.
• Additional work is planned for the Southview Gardens area as funding becomes available. Some utility relocation work is likely this coming summer in preparation for the additional work at a later date.
• In conjunction with the roundabout work at State and Obernuefemann and the utility work needed to complete the roundabout, the stormwater detention pond in the northeast quadrant of the roundabout area was reshaped and a concrete swale added to drain the groundwater that normally saturates the area making grounds maintenance difficult.
• Collapsed culvert pipes and drainage inlets were replaced at 1126 Third Street, 6 Lorien Court, 310 Agnes, 805 W. Madison and along Venita Drive near the AmerenIP substation.
Design and investigation projects include:
• The design of new cross street culverts under E. Wesley drive near its intersection
with E. Jackson is almost complete.
• Design scoping is complete on improvements to E. Washington and E. Adams.
• Designs on erosion mitigation near Hesse Park and LaVerna Evans Elementary
have been advanced as well as a design for relief to flooding along Cherry
Street.
• A design for erosion correction along a section of Engle Creek is on the shelf
awaiting funding.
“Under investigation” has become a larger and larger man hour commitment for Engineering and Operations. For every storm pipe we repair or replace, we are finding two that need attention. The City’s stormwater system, like all infrastructure, continues to age and deteriorate. Stormwater repair and maintenance is a significant cost issue for the City and will only increase in the future.
Old Collinsville Road Reconstruction
This coming summer, Old Collinsville Road between I-64 and Milburn School Road will be completely  reconstructed. Fairview Heights and O’Fallon are jointly sponsoring the reconstruction and have obtained federal funding for the work. The road will be expanded to three lanes. In order to safely complete this project, the road will be closed in sections as the summer progresses.
Make plans to avoid the area if you can.
O’Fallon Water – 101 Years Old
With maturity, hopefully comes some wisdom. As a result, we have asked both the Fairview and O’Fallon Fire Departments where they need additional fire hydrants to improve fire service to their respective communities. Additionally, we will provide some more hydrants east of town in the Lebanon-Emerald Mound Fire District where large gaps between hydrants exist on O’Fallon water lines.
SCADA
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are used to monitor and adjust utility system operation. Until recently, our water system had very limited SCADA and the sanitary sewer system used a contracted service. With the new French Village Pump Station and the two new water towers under construction, it was time to upgrade the system on the water side. In addition, the contract service for the sanitary side was providing less than acceptable service. As a result, the Operations Group of Public Works began an upgrade of SCADA for both systems. Using our existing water towers as communication links, installation of new monitoring equipment at all critical facilities has been put into place. Supervisors will now be able to view data screens on laptop
computers in the field and at home after hours. Alarms can be seen and decisions can be made as to the need for dispatch of technicians. Adjustments to the operation of pumps and valves will be able to be made remotely. Illinois-American Water, our provider of water, can view our water system and respond to its need for water. It is not “Star Trek” quality electronics yet, but we are making progress.
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