DANVILLE — Engineers hired by the city will present two alternatives for the location of a new bridge carrying Fairchild Street over the deteriorated Fairchild Subway at a public meeting on Wednesday.

Senior Project Manager Michael Magnuson with Alfred Benesch & Co. of Chicago said the two vary slightly in location and have advantages and disadvantages.

“One places the bridge approximately in the middle of the existing right of way and has the option of reusing the subway for pedestrians and bicycles…,” Magnuson said.

The subway would be filled in a little bit, with a little rehab and more lighting for pedestrians and bicyclists, he added.

Or the bridge itself could be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.

The biggest impact with this alternative is that the north side upper frontage road, affecting residents and businesses, would not exist as a two-way street.

“(In the second alternative), the bridge is shifted slightly to the south and that keeps that existing upper level frontage road intact,” Magnuson said.

He said properties will be affected in various ways with the two alternatives. With some properties, only a couple feet of right-of-way might be needed.

Access, driveways or entire buildings could be affected on other properties.

“We also have a preliminary idea where we need additional right of way (and) have a preliminary design for Fairchild and Bowman,” Magnuson said.

“Regardless of the alternative selected, that intersection needs to be improved,” he said.

The purpose of the first public meeting in December was to let residents know the subway replacement analysis process had started.

Magnuson said at this second meeting, residents can now see what the bridge over the railroad tracks would look like and provide feedback about what they like and don’t like about the alternatives.

The engineering firm also will update the public on the Bowman Avenue study.

“We do not have any design concepts to show yet,” Magnuson said, about the ongoing study and need for coordination with the railroad.

The feasibility study is looking at future grade separations on Bowman Avenue at the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads (north and south of Fairchild Street). This would take Bowman under or over the railroad tracks to have traffic avoid the 30 trains a day each railroad company has traveling those tracks.

The Bowman improvements have been estimated at $18 million.

Magnuson added that they have also “reaffirmed” other subway studies that there “really is no good way to improve the subway and make it work for the future and correct the vertical clearance …”

“It’s very cost prohibitive,” he said.

Magnuson reminds the public that Wednesday’s meeting is like an open house and residents can come when they want to look at drawings and ask questions.

The city council last week authorized funding applications for the Fairchild Subway replacement project.

The city may need to commit up to $10 million of local funding for certain grant applications.

City Engineer David Schnelle said the replacement project is estimated at $20 million. The city has $7 earmarked already through state capital funding. At least another $6 million could come from the Illinois Commerce Commission.

But a local contribution could be upwards of the remaining $7 million needed.

City officials continue to seek more grant funding.

Phase 1 and 2 design work, in preparation to put the project out for bid, is expected to take about two years.

Aldermen last year approved an $899,727 Phase I engineering contract with Alfred Benesch & Co. of Chicago for the subway replacement project.

Aldermen also previously approved a $4.75 million bond issue partly for engineering ($3.5 million for the Fairchild Subway and Bowman Avenue grade separation structures engineering) to replace the subway and take Fairchild Street over the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroad tracks with an overpass.

The city’s recently passed 1 percent sales tax increase also is to help generate money for an infrastructure reserve fund for projects like the subway.

COMING UP

A second public information meeting on the Fairchild Subway will be at 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Public Works facility, 1155 E. Voorhees St. A formal presentation to present the preliminary alternatives for the subway and Bowman Avenue grade separations will be made by the study team at 4:30 p.m. and repeated at 6 p.m.

The Fairchild Subway will be closed for a routine inspection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes.