Beecher Board Awards $1.1 Million in Contracts for Miller Street Water Main Replacement

Village of Beecher Board of Trustees Meeting | March 23, 2026

Article Summary: The Village of Beecher has officially greenlit a massive summer infrastructure project, awarding nearly $1.1 million in construction and engineering contracts to replace the Miller Street water main. The project, which will stretch from Dixie Highway to Reed Street, will be heavily subsidized by a $500,000 grant from Will County.

Miller Street Water Main Key Points:

• M&J Underground was awarded the base bid and option one for the construction project at a total cost of $994,957.74.

• Baxter & Woodman was awarded a $92,000 contract for construction engineering after the board waived the formal bid process.

• The Village is utilizing a $500,000 grant from the Will County ARPA Infrastructure Pillar Program to offset costs, with the remainder coming from the Water Main Replacement Fund.

• Construction will target the 500, 600, and 700 blocks of Miller Street and will take place over the summer while school is out of session.

The Beecher Village Board on Monday, March 23, 2026, unanimously approved the financial framework for one of the village’s largest infrastructure upgrades of the year, formally awarding the contracts necessary to replace the aging Miller Street water main.

Following a competitive bidding process, the board voted 6-0 to award the base construction bid, along with “option one,” to M&J Underground for $994,957.74.

Public Works Committee Chair Erik Gardner outlined the project’s funding, noting that the village’s financial burden has been significantly reduced by outside subsidies. The village previously secured a $500,000 grant through Will County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Infrastructure Pillar Program. The remaining balance of nearly $495,000 will be drawn from the village’s dedicated Water Main Replacement Fund.

In a separate but related 6-0 vote, the board agreed to waive the formal bidding process to hire Baxter & Woodman for the project’s construction engineering at a cost of $92,000.

To minimize disruption to the community, the village has scheduled the heavy construction to occur during the summer months.

“Just so that the public knows, the Miller Street water main project is all of Miller Street, the 500, 600, and 700 blocks of Miller from Dixie Highway all the way to Reed Street,” Gardner said. “It’ll be taking place this summer while the school is out of session.”