Danville’s Public Works committee has approved a variety of street and sewer improvement studies.

Danville plans to apply for a 12.5 million dollar grant for improvements of high risk road segments and intersections. Completion of a recent Vermilion County Safety Action Plan enabled the city to seek the large grant.  If it receives the grant, Danville will have to have a 20% match of 2.5 million dollars.

City Engineer Sam Cole says the plan would address many areas that need safety improvements. He said one area surprised him in the study.

The study done for this application also can be used for other projects the city plans to do soon.

Another approved plan would be for the improvement of Voorhees street said Cole

The project was selected by the Danville Area Transportation Study.  The city would pay an engineering company up to 70 thousand dollars for the study.  That would be part of the city’s match for the estimated 760 thousand dollar project.

The committee also gave the okay for an evaluation of sanitary sewers in the downtown area. Cole says the project will includes sewer cleaning, manhole inspections, smoke testing, and recommendations

The city recently got a three million dollar grant to improve roads and alleys in the downtown area.  

Also approved was a 25 thousand dollar transfer to the Midtown TIF budget for work on the downtown sidewalk projects.  The increase was needed because of unforeseen construction problems, and including of additional locations.  The total sidewalk project will cost 442 thousand dollars.

Committee members also gave the green light to a 230 thousand dollar contract with an engineering company to prepare a design for replacement of the Ellsworth Park sanitary sewer lift station.  City officials say the current pump station is 60 years old and needs renovation.

All of the committee’s actions will come to the full city council next week.