?  Northwest Compass is a charitable organization that owns a building at 1300 West Northwest Highway.  It is immediately west of the Meadows Park frontage on Northwest Highway. 

The Melas/Meadows bridge plans propose part of an access ramp, staircase, and walking path on Meadows Park property near the property line between Northwest Compass and the park.  In particular, the plans route the walking path through a garden area that features native and pollinator plants.  Grading and construction will eliminate most of the garden area.

Northwest Compass reports that they constructed the garden 2 years ago.  Some of the garden, including a walking path that connects a patio to the charity’s rear parking lot, is installed in Meadows Park on Mt. Prospect Park District property.  However, Northwest Compass does not have an easement, or permission, from the Mt. Prospect Park District to construct or operate the garden.  Prior to the start of design work for the bridge, the Mt. Prospect Park District had no knowledge that Northwest Compass was utilizing park district property.

Figure 1 depicts the location of the property line in relation to the garden area.  The yellow highlighted line is the east property line of the Northwest Compass property.

The Village of Mount Prospect was granted an easement for the construction of the Melas/Meadows bridge by the Mt. Prospect Park District.  This easement includes the garden area where the access ramp, staircase, and walking path are planned.  

Northwest Compass would like to continue to operate and utilize the garden.  The Village of Mount Prospect remains committed to working with Northwest Compass and the Mt. Prospect Park District to find an amicable solution.

The Melas/Meadows bridge has been discussed at public meetings at least 12 times since the project began in 2017.  Agenda documents, meeting minutes, and video links for these meetings can be found on the project webpage (www.mountprospect.org (search for melas/meadows)).  The links can be found in the dropdown menu for Documents & Public Meetings.  (Note: Some members of the community may recall that the bridge was discussed as early 2009.  However, the project failed to develop due to a lack of funding).

The project has also been reported multiple times by the Daily Herald and Mount Prospect Journal & Topics newspapers.  It has also been featured in Village of Mount Prospect social media communications.

The project webpage has been live since April 2020.

Yes.  Construction of the piers and ramps will not require closure. The main span will arrive in multiple pieces and spliced together on site. Setting the main span will require two cranes and closure of tracks and Northwest Highway. This will be coordinated with UPRR and IDOT.  Village staff expects that the lifts will occur during off-peak travel hours to minimize impacts on traffic.

The Mount Prospect Village Board has the final word on whether to build the bridge.  However, several other agencies must also approve the plans and specifications before the project is let for bidding.  These agencies include the Mt. Prospect Park District, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Yes.  Some overhead and underground utilities will need to be relocated to accommodate the bridge and the bridge approaches.  The cost of relocating these utilities is included in the current estimate.  The work is included in the project scope.

Yes.  Soil borings have been collected and analyzed.  There are no identified soil issues.  The soil appears structurally adequate to support the approach ramps and the bridge piers.

The main bridge span and the bridge approach ramps are curbed to prevent water from draining onto the roadway, railway, or lower ramps.  The water is collected in drains installed along the curb lines and conveyed via pipe to at-grade discharges.

Village staff expects that routine maintenance costs, such as sweeping, snow removal, and landscape maintenance, will be absorbed into the existing operating budget. 

The exceptions will be periodic inspections by an IDOT-certified bridge inspector (every 2-4 years), bridge deck joint sealant maintenance (approximately 6 joints every 15-20 years), and steel truss painting (20 years).

The bridge will be insured by the Village.  The Village participates in the Illinois Risk Management Association (IRMA) insurance pool.  Premiums are determined on a revenue basis.  They are not asset-based.  Consequently, the addition of pedestrian bridge will not affect insurance rates. 

Snow removal will be performed by the Mount Prospect Public Works Department.

Yes. The bridge can accommodate electric micromobility devices.  However, The Village Board always has the option to administratively limit access to the bridge.

Yes.  Bike riders and scooter riders will be allowed to ride on the bridge.

Cameras are not included in the current bridge construction cost.  However, a camera system can be added to monitor the main span and bridge approaches for approximately $35,000.  Cameras can be added after the project is completed by Village crews.

The bridge will be under the jurisdiction of the Mount Prospect Police Department.

Yes.  The main span, ramps, and staircases will be lit.  The lighting will be provided by a combination of overhead streetlight-style light posts, rail-mounted luminaires on the main span, and Cree Edge transportation series luminaires installed where the access ramps double back on themselves.  All luminaires will operate at 3,000 Kelvin color temperature (a soft white).  Pole-mounted overhead luminaires will include glare reducing shields. 

Target lighting levels for this project were obtained from the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) RP-43-22 standard.  Design criteria were established for 3 distinct areas including a mixed-use path, pedestrian overpass, and stairs.  The targeted lighting zone is Zone 2 (LZ-2).

LZ2 represents a moderate ambient lighting environment, typical for areas with human activity where vision adapts to moderate light levels. It's often associated with residential neighborhoods, public parks, and commercial zones needing consistent illumination for safety and visibility. 

IES and Dark Sky Association outdoor lighting standards range from LZ0 to LZ4.  LZ0 applies to rural spaces and LZ4 applies to brightly lit spaces like city centers.

The bridge approaches will have a 4’6” high fence installed on a 6” curb (a total height of 5’) and the main span will have a 6’ high fence.

The bid specifications also request optional pricing to install a 6’ fence for the first 60’ of the bridge approaches and a 9’ fence on the main span. 

Both the main span fencing and the ramp fencing will have 2” openings and 9-gauge wire.

The specified fencing is compliant with both IDOT and UPRR requirements for bridge construction.

No.  Staircases will also be installed on both sides of the bridge.

?  The bridge and the approach ramps must be compliant with current accessibility requirements (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)).  Notably, these rules limit the running slope to less than a 5% incline (1:20) and the cross slope to less than 2% (1:48).  These slope requirements ensure that the ramps, and the bridge, are accessible to individuals using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility devices.  To make the ramps compliant with these regulations, a very gradual slope was used which increased the length of the ramps.

LINK TO BUSINESS LICENSE PAGE

1. All businesses, with the exception of home based businesses, operating within the Village of Mount Prospect must maintain a current Business License or Certificate of Inspection.

2. Who needs a Business Certificate to do business in Mount Prospect? If your business is regulated by the State of Illinois you must maintain a current Business Inspection Certificate and show proof of your current State License.

Contractors working in the Village need to complete a CONTRACTOR License – not a Business License.

3. What is the difference between a Business License and Business Certificate? A Business License is issued by the Village to conduct business; a Business Certificate is issued by the Village to State licensed businesses to ensure proper inspection and safety information is maintained.

A good rule of thumb is: A business that sells goods, needs a Business License; A business that offers professional services (regulated by the state) needs a Business Certificate.

The north ramp is 689’ long as measured from the Meadows Park parking lot to the deck pier.  The south ramp is 613’ long as measured from the existing path to the deck pier.  The approach ramps are 10’ wide and will be made of concrete.

The Civic Events Sign is located at the corner of Main Street (Route 83) and Northwest Highway. It is an electronic message board featuring notices about community events.

If you have an event you would like to publicize, please download, print and complete the form and fax to the Village Clerk's Office 847/392-6954.

LINK TO PAGE

On Tuesday, March 6, 2007, the Village of Mount Prospect’s Board of Trustees enacted Ordinance 5619 which expanded the Crime Free Housing Program. In brief, the ordinance now states that the owner of any building or dwelling unit (including a single family residence) which is rented MUST obtain a residential operator’s license. Furthermore, “a residential operator’s licenses shall not be issued until the landlord, or designated agent, has attended and successfully completed the Crime Free seminar sponsored by the Village of Mount Prospect.”

New landlords (or agents) have sixty days to successfully complete the Crime Free seminar. Failure to do so will result in fines and possible loss of their license to rent.

This expanded Crime Free Housing Program has been implemented with the goal of reducing criminal activity within the Village and improving living conditions for all residents.

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The main bridge deck will be 23’6” above the railroad tracks and 30’2” above Northwest Highway.  For reference, the Village’s black streetlight poles on Northwest Highway near the proposed bridge site are 40’ tall.

Yes, the landscaping depicted in the renderings will be installed as part of the construction project.  The cost of landscape materials is included in the current cost estimate.

The bridge will be a prefabricated truss main span with staircases and access ramps.  The best representation of the type, size, and location of the bridge are computer-generated renderings of the bridge available on the project homepage.  Just search for melas-meadows pedestrian bridge in your browser of choice.

The bridge deck, approach ramp, and piers will be made of concrete.  The main span support piers will feature form-lined concrete to simulate fieldstone.

The fence, posts, railings, and steel truss will be painted black.

No,  Ordinance No. 6303 (approved by the Village Board on 2-21-2017) included the removal of the permit requirement for garage sales.

The bridge is slated to be let for public bidding in January 2026.  IDOT and the Village will likely award a contract in February 2026.  Construction should start in spring 2026 and be substantially complete by the end of the year.  Final completion is expected in early 2027 when landscaping and other items not affecting the operation of the bridge will be completed.

No.  The bridge will span a highway right-of-way owned by the State of Illinois and a railroad right-of-way owned by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).  The piers and ramps will be built in Meadows Park and in Melas Park.  Meadows Park is owned by the Mt. Prospect Park District.  Melas Park is owned by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC).

IDOT and UPRR have approved this bridge.  Both agencies have been involved in this project since initiation and have actively participated in Phase I and Phase II engineering.  In addition, both agencies approved the Project Development Report and IDOT has agreed to let the contract for this project.

The Mt. Prospect Park District has executed an intergovernmental agreement supporting the construction and operation of the bridge.  In addition, the park district has granted a permanent easement to utilize park district land for the north side ramp, bridge piers, and sidewalks.

The Village has entered into a long-term lease agreement with the MWRDGC to develop and operate Melas Park for public recreational purposes.  The Village has, in turn, executed sub-leases with the Mt. Prospect Park District and the Arlington Heights Park District to develop athletic and recreational facilities at the park.  Like IDOT and UPRR, the MWRDGC has been involved in project development since initiation and supports the effort.  In addition, the construction of a bridge connecting shared use paths at the two parks is consistent with the overall objective of the lease agreement between MWRDGC and the Village.

Not for construction costs. Actual construction is the biggest expenditure.  The contract for this project will be issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).  IDOT will pay the contractor and bill the Village for the local share later. 

However, the Village will let and administer the construction engineering contract.  Consequently, the Village will be the first payer for the engineering firm hired to monitor the contractor’s work.

The bridge is currently expected to cost $9,695,887.  Fortunately, the Village has been awarded over $8,613,170 in grant funding, which amounts to 89% of project costs.  Federal rules limit grant funding to 80% of project costs with the local partner (the Village) responsible for the remaining 20%.  This limitation creates a grant surplus of $893,629.50.

The Village’s total cost for the bridge is expected to be $1,976,346.10.  Of this amount, $207,090.50 has already been spent on Phase I engineering (preliminary engineering), and Phase II engineering (design engineering).  Once a construction contract is awarded, the Village will pay $1,608,414.20 for construction and $160,841.40 for construction engineering (a total of $1,769,255.60).

In the early 2010s, Village staff received guidance from the Village Board to develop projects that could help mitigate the isolating effects of the several multi-lane, high-volume, arterial roads that dissect the Village. 

The Melas/Meadows bridge is one of these projects.  When constructed, the bridge will provide a means for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross both the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and Northwest Highway.  Presently, there is no way to safely cross these corridors between the Central Road intersections and the grade crossing near the intersection of Arthur Avenue and Davis Street in Arlington Heights.  This is a span of almost 1.4 miles through the middle of Mount Prospect.

Other recent projects designed to improve cross-town mobility for people who are not in cars include the Central Road & Weller Lane pedestrian crossing, the Central Road & Cathy Lane pedestrian crossing, the Central Road & Emerson Street pedestrian crossing, the Busse Road  & Lonnquist Boulevard pedestrian crossing, and the Busse Avenue & Main Steet pedestrian crossing.

In addition, this bridge will form a key part of the Village’s bike plan.  It will provide a safe means for bicyclists to travel across town from the north to the south and vice versa. Immediately it will provide a new, safe way for students to walk or bike to Prospect High School as many students live south of Central Road.   It may even wind up forming a crucial link to the Northwest Municipal Conference’s regional bike path planned for the Northwest Highway corridor.