Ill. Town Doubles Down
on Permeable Pavers

 

Municipalities like Downers Grove, Ill., are opting to install permeable pavers instead of standard asphalt despite higher initial construction costs, due to their longer lifespan and ability to process stormwater runoff.

Workers are nearly done installing permeable pavers on two streets in Downers Grove, Illinois, replacing the dilapidated existing pavement with stone that will meet increased DuPage County stormwater standards.

Village officials first approved the Grove Street project in July, citing the severe deterioration of the pavement between Carpenter and Main streets. Surfacing the 200-foot stretch of Carpenter Street was completed Thanksgiving week, and Grove Street re-opened in mid-December. The project was delayed for nearly six weeks in the fall, when the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency implemented stricter regulations for excavating soil.

The installation included the removal of the existing pavement, storm sewers, water main, curb and gutters, followed by the installation of the pavers, officials said. The permeable surfacing is intended to clean stormwater runoff from the area before it is discharged into St. Joseph's Creek nearby.

Grove Street is the first road in Downers Grove to be resurfaced with permeable pavers. Although pavers typically increase construction costs by nearly 60 percent, village officials expect the pavers to have a longer life cycle and offer several environmental benefits.

Due to the change in county stormwater standards, permeable surfacing was also installed in a Downers Grove high school parking lot last summer (landscapearchitect.com article #17178). Stormwater regulations nationwide are tightening at the state and local level, bringing environmentally conscious techniques like permeable pavers into greater vogue on new projects.