Water System Improvements
Both the Kyle Road and Pausch Road Water Towers are now operational. It will take the better part of a year to get the City’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system adjusted to the new tanks being a part of the overall system. These additional tanks will provide more consistent water pressure throughout our water system in both O’Fallon and Fairview Heights, and provide additional fire flow/emergency capacity.
Simmons/Porter Intersection Roundabout
 A public meeting was held at City Hall on the design of the roundabout. The City anticipates right-of-way acquisition to begin soon, with the acceptance of bids for the work this spring. Construction is tentatively planned for the summer months of 2010.
Milburn School Road Improvements
Improvements to Milburn School Road between Simmons Road and Merriam Parkway are under design. The new roadway will be two lanes with turn lanes at the major intersections and a roundabout at the Merriam Parkway intersection. Dependent upon IDOT design and property acquisition, this work could start as early as the fall of 2010.
Old Collinsville Road Reconstruction
 This project from I-64 to Milburn School Road was to be started this summer, but complications over right-of-way acquisition and railroad alterations have delayed the project to 2010. This is a joint venture between Fairview Heights and O’Fallon much like the earlier project along Old Collinsville Road south of I-64. The roadway will be a continuous three-lane wide
pavement to accommodate the many entrances to subdivisions and other development along the roadway.
Wesley Culvert Replacement Project
 The culvert pipes under East Wesley Drive were replaced by LW Contractors and the project was complete before school started last fall. The design of the replacement was accomplished by another local firm, Hoelscher Engineering. The previous culvert pipes were undersized for the storm water flow that they receive and the pipes were failing, causing sinkholes to appear
in the roadway. In addition to replacing the culvert pipes, the small pond to the south of the culverts was cleaned out. The pond protects the larger lake and Engle Creek from sediment from city streets as far south as the intersection of Lincoln and State. To enhance the pond’s re-mediated appearance several of the adjacent property owners paid to have their shore lined with rip rap.
ARRA – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Economic Stimulus Package)
The City of O’Fallon did not receive any funding directly from the “stimulus package” to date. It appears the only funding that we will receive is $100,000 indirectly through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The CDBG program was under funded this year, and Illinois was allowed to use stimulus money to shore up the program. The City was told prior to the passage of the stimulus bill to expect a $100,000 grant for the installation of a sanitary sewer system in the Carson-Behrens Street area.
Water Main Improvements
City workers teamed with a contractor to accomplish a number of small water main replacement projects over the summer. Mains on W. 6th Street and the first block on both sides of Lincoln on 4th Street were replaced. On a larger scale, about 2,200 feet of line was placed between the site of the new water tower on Pausch Road and Merriam Parkway to provide another route for water to and from the new elevated tank. Six thousand feet of line were placed along Shiloh Valley Township Line Road just north of I-64, east of the City. A companion project will place another 8,000 feet of pipe from the intersection of Shiloh Valley Township Line Road and Rieder Road to Hwy. 50 this fall. These improvements are being made in anticipation of the new Rieder Road interchange at I-64.
Sidewalk Repair/Extension
 This summer, 900 feet of sidewalk were replaced as part of our annual sidewalk repair program. In addition, 600 feet of sidewalk were place to connect the new Carriel Junior High School with the walkway that ended at the north edge of the Estates at Prairie Crossing subdivision along Seven Hills Road. Between the Westbrook and Brookside Subdivisions, 200 feet of sidewalk and a small bridge were
constructed to join those two neighborhoods allowing access to Hinchcliffe Elementary and the Family Sports Park by a pedestrian path.
Roundabout Courtesy
Through various public meetings, it has come to our attention that some drivers are not quite sure how to safely navigate the State/Obernuefemann roundabout.
Before you move into the roundabout, check for any other vehicles to your left. If there is a vehicle to your left, it is already in the roundabout and has the right of way. After the other vehicle has passed, you may go.
Pedestrians always have the right of way in the roundabout. If pedestrians are in the crosswalk, you must stop and let them cross. Once the pedestrian has crossed, you can move forward cautiously.
If another vehicle is in the roundabout, that vehicle has the right of way and you must yield to them. However, if two vehicles driving in different directions arrive at the roundabout at the same time, they can both safely navigate through without needing to yield to each other.
As you are exiting the roundabout, it’s important that you make sure your right turn signal is on to let other vehicles know you are leaving.
If an emergency vehicle such as a fire truck, ambulance, or police car arrives in the roundabout behind you, please proceed through the roundabout and pull to the right as soon as you can safely do so after exiting the roundabout.
The main navigation tip in using a roundabout is that you should reduce your speed to 20 mph and remember that vehicles approaching the roundabout should yield to vehicles and pedestrians that are already in it.
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