City Already Digging Up Newly Created Loop Link Bus Lane For Being Too Narrow
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The city just put it new road for dedicated bus lane, but they are already digging them up. CBS 2's Mike Parker went to find out why.
Wasn't the paving of the newly created bus lane, already finished? Well it was, until it wasn't.
Crews are now back at work, tearing up the pavement again on eastbound Washington between Clark and Dearborn.
This morning, construction workers told us the dedicated bus lane turned out to be too narrow for buses, hence the sudden re-excavation.
"I've seen projects like this elsewhere in Chicago and of course, generally it takes longer than it should," said Loop resident Reggie Pharr.
At first the city told us that "there is fine tuning of the bus lanes in several locations."
Hours later, an official statement: "small portions of the dedicated bus lanes are being widened to optimize traffic flow...this will have no impact on completion."
It sure was having an impact today on vehicle traffic past the scene. At one point, two lanes were reduced to one.
"Well this is obviously mismanagement," said Ken Roseman. "They have no idea what they're doing and they couldn't figure out how to do it. What do they always say? Measure twice and cut once."
When it's done, the $33 million Loop Link system will provide bus lanes, bicycle lanes and two lanes of vehicle traffic on two miles of city streets. And traffic for everyone, the city pledges, will be better.
The project is still due to be finished by the end of the year. Adjustments and field testing, the city says, are a normal part of the process, and factored into the cost.