Parking lot work to begin at Glen Ellyn library

Crews will begin work June 12 on a monthlong project to rebuild the parking lot at Glen Ellyn Public Library to eliminate surface and structural problems, improve traffic flow and increase the number of spaces from 96 to 98, officials said.

The entire lot will be closed throughout the project, Executive Director Dawn Bussey said, but parking will be available nearby.

Bussey said the project will cost $188,885, with the bulk of the work being done by Abbey Paving of Aurora and overseen by Jacob & Hefner Associates, an engineering consulting firm from Lombard.

The lot was built about 16 years ago and, despite regular upkeep, is covered with cracks and showing signs of deterioration, Bussey said. Plans call for removing all the asphalt and improving a troublesome substructure.

If all goes well with both the work and weather, officials hope the project will be done by July 18.

When it's finished, officials think the lot will be more accessible for motorists looking to park or use the library drop box.

The lot currently has a single entrance/exit driveway that often snarls traffic, Bussey said. The library plans to add an entrance-only driveway at the west end of the lot and turn the existing driveway into an exit.

The changes will reverse the flow of traffic in the parking lot, she said, and place the drop box on the driver's side of vehicles instead of the passenger's side. Patrons still will have to open their door to drop off books, she said, but now will be stepping on a sidewalk instead of into traffic.

While the lot is closed, patrons will have several other parking options.

During daytime hours on weekdays, they may park in a portion of the St. Petronille School and Church parking lot and a temporary book drop will be placed at the entrance of the village's commuter parking lot. During evening and weekend hours, patrons may park in the commuter lot to the west of the library.

The parking lot across the street from the McChesney & Miller grocery store will be available at any time.

"We're hopeful we won't see a huge reduction in (library) use" during construction, Bussey said, "but I do think we'll see a small reduction."

The work is coming as the library's summer reading program is getting started, but Bussey said that's not an excuse not to participate because all the materials are accessible online.