On Wednesday, Evanston Public Works crews were working to restore various city services that were disrupted due to a contractor accidentally severing fiber optic data lines at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Leon Place on Monday. This incident resulted in a wide range of city sites, including the main Evanston Public Library, going offline.
The outage occurred around 9 a.m. on Monday, and city officials are making every effort to restore the affected services as soon as possible. According to Cynthia Vargas, the city spokesperson, the city’s Fourth of July celebration should not be affected by this incident.
A notice was posted on the city’s website, informing users that some city buildings are experiencing a network disruption, causing phone systems and internet outages. For immediate assistance, residents were advised to contact the 311 Center by calling 847-448-4131 or dialing 3-1-1 while in Evanston.
Notifications were also posted on the city’s Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the incident, as per Vargas. At the Evanston Public Library main branch, notices were taped on doors, informing patrons that the library is without internet service.
Among the sites taken offline as a result of the incident were the Clark Street, Dempster, and Lighthouse beaches, the Chandler-Newberger Center, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, and Fire Stations 3 and 5. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, several sites, including the Clark Street, Dempster, and Lighthouse beaches, were back online. The Evanston Library was back online at 4 p.m.
Traffic was redirected at Ridge Avenue and Leon Place, near where the fiber optic line was reportedly severed, causing disruptions in both the city and Northwestern University’s data operations. The cut fiber line also reportedly affected police and fire department communications, with coverage being spotty in some areas.
City officials are working diligently to ensure that services are restored by tonight. Residents with questions should call the 311 line for assistance.
