Charles Street replacement kicks off Rockford construction season

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A Rockford road that hasn’t been replaced for more than four decades will get a a facelift this spring.

Charles Street between 28th Street and Parkside Drive will be closed until August beginning April 3 while crews complete the work.

“This is a complete roadway reconstruction,” said City of Rockford Engineer Tim Hinkens. “We are ripping out the entire concrete roadway, including the sidewalks on both sides.”

Although the project will involve delays and detours residents say the section of Charles Street has taken such a beating that motorists have been avoiding it anyway.

“It’s gotten worse over time,” said Rockford resident Willie Bowman. “It will be a big improvement for all the drivers that (are) going down Charles Street.”

The project will be funded by the city’s 1-percent sales tax.

“This particular stretch of Charles Street has been on the city’s radar for about 10 years now,” Heinekens said.

Hinkens said Charles Street is expected to reopen before the 2023-24 school year starts. Businesses inside the construction zone will remain open during the work. Residents will have access to their driveways.

The work marks the first major road project since crews finished widening West State Street last fall.

Since 2007, Rockford’s 1-percent sales tax has funded nearly $200 million in infrastructure improvement projects.

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