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Setbacks For Raab Road Construction, New Lights For Normal Theater

WGLT Staff
/
WGLT

Raab Road construction in north Normal is facing some unexpected and costly setbacks. The $1.5  million project stretches from near Airport Road to Towanda-Barnes and is the road used to access Normal Community High School. 

High levels of moisture in the soil now require the installation of fabric and 18 inches of rock. City Manger Mark Peterson said it's taken contractors a while to find this solution.

"Water levels in the subgrade are such that if you put a paved surface on top, there's not enough stability to hold that surface, so things will begin to move, and when pavement moves it will start to crack and crumble, so we've got to find a way to pull the moisture out of that subgrade and stabilize it" said Peterson.

Peterson said contractors have a plan, but there is no guarantee  it will work. The delay set back completion by a month. Council members authorized up to 300 thousand additional dollars to finish the improvements. The delay will also cause traffic problems mid-August when school starts. Construction is now estimated to finish in mid-September. 

 
New lights are just one of several improvements coming to the Normal Theater. The Normal Council approved nearly 60 thousand dollars of interior lights to be put in to help enhance live performances. Peterson said these lights will help improve live music and theatrical performances. 
 
" There's a couple other lighting issues that we're having to repair, but it's mostly that lighting is being installed to enhance the experience for live performances" said Peterson. 

Peterson said the theater will close down for about a week to install the new lights as well as a new roof, heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. There is currently no start date for the renovations. 
 

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