CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Normally when the city repaves streets, residents view the process in a positive light. But for residents along 130th Street in Hegewisch, it's a head-scratcher.
People around the neighborhood said they're irritated, because just days after work crews put the finishing touches on major renovation - new asphalt, curbs, striping, even bike lanes - the work crews came back and started tearing it all up.
"Well I was kind of surprised because we had just gotten the street fixed and it was beautiful," Esperanza Baeza said.
"Ten days after they repaved it, they're tearing it up again, " Ed Malewicki said. "It happens every time an improvement's made in this neighborhood. They fix it and a week or two later they come and tear it up."
It turns out that in this case it, wasn't so much bad planning as bad luck.
No sooner was the street repaving project finished, then crews from the water department detected a leak in a pipe buried deep underground.
10th Ward Alderman John Pope said it was an emergency and that it was painful but necessary to open all that brand new asphalt.
"This is not something I'm happy about at all," Pope said. "When it first collapsed, I was on the phone with the water department, and they identified the problem right away. I know, I'm a resident of that neighborhood. My mother lives down the block. My children play ball at the park right there, so I understand the people's frustration."
But some residents wonder why the city didn't replace the 80-year-old water pipes when they tore up the street in the first place.
"It's exposed," Malewicki said. "It would have taken them nothing to replace the sewer versus waiting till the street is paved."
Neighbor Jackie McGrath can't understand it either.
"Our city is broke broke broke, " she said. "But they'll spend money twice. That's what I don't understand. Our mayor needs to come out and say why? Why was this done like this?"
