A message from the I-80 bridge — get out the repair tools, Illinois’
March 22, 2019
By Sun-Times Editorial Board
In what other state do highway billboards warn you to drive over a bridge at your own risk? We’re guessing it is not many.
But that’s what motorists on I-80 see as they cross the Des Plaines River in Joliet. A billboard on one side of the bridge says, “Cross Bridge at Your Own Risk.” A billboard for traffic going the opposite direction says, “Bridge ahead in critical condition.”
And you thought the unexplained whining sound from your alternator was bad.
We’re guessing those signs make motorists a bit jumpy, especially if they remember the I-35W Mississippi River bridge that collapsed in 2007 in Minneapolis, killing 13 people and injuring 145. Or the Lake Shore Drive bridge that had to be shut down in early February because of a crack in a support beam. That could have been a big disaster if no one had noticed the crack in time.
Meanwhile, 165 miles away in Springfield, lawmakers will debate a $2 billion-a-year Senate amendment that emerged last week to fix deteriorating roads, bridges and transit with a 19-cents-a-gallon increase in gasoline taxes, a doubling of license fees, an increase in registration fees for most vehicles from $98 to $148, and other fee increases.
We don’t know if the final capital plan will revise those tax-and-fee increases, but the I-80 bridge illustrates why something must be done.
The rotating message billboard ads are the part of an International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 campaign to warn motorists of deteriorating road and bridge conditions, especially on the span over the Des Plaines River. The union has an ownership stake in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk has threatened to post similar signs on streets approaching I-80 entrance ramps.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Transportation says the bridge is safe for now, and the agency is planning to spend $5 million starting in April to fix problems found in inspections.
Des Plaines Bridges News
I-80 bridge work in Joliet begins June 28
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that a $48 million project to replace the eastbound Interstate 80 bridges over Hickory Creek, Richards Street, Rowell Avenue/Canadian National Railroad, and westbound over Richards Street, in Joliet, Rockdale and New Lenox, will begin, weather permitting, Monday, June 28.
IDOT 5-year plan includes big improvements on I-80, I-55 in Will County
The Illinois Department of Transportation on Tuesday released a $21.3 billion five-year highway improvement plan with five major projects in Will County. The plan includes $3.2 billion in spending for fiscal year 2021, but IDOT warned that funding could be curtailed because of the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.
Overnight lane closures on I-80 bridges in Joliet
Overnight lane closures on I-80 bridges in Joliet CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that an ongoing repair project on the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, will require occasional overnight lane closures starting,...
State inspects I80 bridges again
Governor has proposed funding for aging infrastructure’s replacement
Inspectors this week are completing an annual examination of the Interstate 80 bridges that state officials say is done to assure they are safe to drive on, despite the need for repairs.
I-80 Bridge Inspection Over Des Plaines River In Joliet Canceled Due To Weather
Due to the rainy weather the daily inspections for today, April 30th have been canceled.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that regularly scheduled inspections of the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, will begin April 29, weather permitting.
Inspections Scheduled On I-80 Bridges Over Des Plaines River
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that regularly scheduled inspections of the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, will begin April 29, weather permitting.
State to begin inspecting I-80 bridges soon: IDOT
Regularly scheduled inspections of the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River will begin Monday, April 29 in Joliet, ahead of larger repairs.
The worn steel city
Joliet, Ill., was at one time a true blue-collar city. Steel fabrication echoed through the streets of this river dwelling … a constant buzz was in the air.