Joliet Invites Public to Houbolt Road Meeting

Joliet invites public to Houbolt Road meeting

City holds informational meeting April 6 on pending construction project

An electronic sign warns southbound motorists on Houbolt Road in Joliet of construction activity that has started around the Interstate 80 interchange on Tuesday. (Bob Okon)

BY BOB OKON -BOKON@SHAWMEDIA.COM The city of Joliet is inviting the public to an informational meeting on April 6 about the construction project this year on Houbolt-Hollywood Road and the Interstate 80 interchange.

The meeting will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Houbolt Road Construction Field Office, which is located at 1116 Houbolt Road, Unit B.

Construction will start in the coming weeks, and utility relocation near the interchange has begun.

Council member Joe Clement asked for the meeting and noted the project will affect residents, businesses, Joliet Junior College and motorists who drive through the area.

“Everyone coming through that corridor, I just want them to know what the timeline is going to be for that project, how bad it’s going to be, or how good it’s going to be,” Clement said.

City officials and project leaders will be at the meeting to discuss construction with the public. A proposed construction schedule will be available. Renderings and final plans for the improvements also will be available.

Read the full release at:
ShawLocal.com

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I-80 bridge work in Joliet begins June 28

I-80 bridge work in Joliet begins June 28

First step to major I-80 reconstruction from Ridge Road to U.S. 30

Press Release from IDOT

I-80 des plaines bridge

CHICAGO – 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. The project is part of advance work leading to the $1.2 billion reconstruction of I-80 through Will County, a cornerstone of Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program.

“This project is about much more than replacing worn concrete and steel,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “It represents a significant investment in the Will County area and is a big step forward in our work to improve safety, mobility and create economic opportunity for years to come. We’re asking drivers to be patient, slow down and pay extra attention driving in and around any work zone.”

Starting Monday, June 21, overnight work will begin to install concrete barriers to prepare for the work zone. Motorists should expect lane shifts and lane closures on both sides of I-80, between Chicago and Briggs streets, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday. At least two lanes in each direction will remain open. Daytime traffic will not be impacted.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

By Monday, June 28, both eastbound and westbound I-80 traffic will have shifted onto the right shoulders and new temporary pavement. The first stage of the project will consist of building new bridges, pavement, and a concrete barrier wall in the middle of I-80 from Gardner Street to west of Briggs Street. Two lanes in each direction will be maintained throughout construction. The eastbound I-80 ramp to Richards Street will close briefly during the second stage of construction, anticipated in late 2021/early 2022.

The existing bridges were built in the 1960s and are reaching the end of their useful life. The project, which includes replacing the existing four bridges with new wider structures, installing new signage and modernized LED lights, reconstructing, and widening eastbound I-80 from Gardner Street to Rowell Avenue, is expected to be completed late 2022. Once the eastbound bridges are nearing completion, focus will turn to the bridges in the westbound directions.

The eventual replacement of the Des Plaines River bridges and larger improvements to I-80 in Will County are made possible by Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois bipartisan capital plan, which will invest $33.2 billion in transportation infrastructure across all modes throughout the state. The estimated $1.2 billion project is included in IDOT’s current FY22-27 Multi-Year Program with a start date dependent on plan readiness and ongoing land acquisition.

The project will reconstruct 16 miles of I-80, from Ridge Road in Minooka to U.S. 30 in Joliet and New Lenox, while adding or extending auxiliary lanes to improve safety and reduce congestion, as well as improving interchanges at I-55, Illinois 7, Center Street, U.S. 52/Illinois 53, Richards Street and Briggs Street.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. Find traffic and road conditions at www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and Twitter.

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The Houbolt Road Extension Project

The Houbolt Road Extension Project Website The Houbolt Road Extension JV, LLC is a business partnership between CenterPoint Properties and United Bridge Partners. Will County is one of the nation’s largest transportation hubs, with demand for freight projected to...

read more

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Will County sees bonanza of infrastructure improvements

The state highway improvement plan for the next five years has something big in store for every part of Will County.

The Interstate 80 project that has captured the most attention promises improved bridges, new interchanges and other improvements through Joliet to the western end of the county.

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Pritzker signed the capital bill and kicked off his day in East St. Louis, then continued on to the Lincoln Depot State Historic Site in Springfield and held another event in the afternoon within sight of the infamous Interstate 80 bridge across the Des Plaines River, set to be replaced as part of $1.2 billion in the plan earmarked for multiple bridge replacements and road upgrades in Joliet and Will County.

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Traffic Shifts For I-80-US 30 Interchange Reconstruction

The new interchange is expected to be complete in late 2021.

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Construction of Houbolt Road bridge in Joliet planned for September

Construction of Houbolt Road bridge in Joliet planned for September

By BOB OKON | Herald News

Model of Hoboult Bridge

Construction of a future Houbolt Road bridge could start in September now that a lease agreement from the public-private project has been approved.

The Joliet City Council on Tuesday approved an agreement that will make the city owners of a toll bridge over the Des Plaines River to be built, operated and maintained by a private partnership created by CenterPoint Properties.

The bridge has been estimated to cost anywhere from $150 million to $200 million to build,

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk, who pegged the potential cost at $180 million to $200 million, called it “the single biggest private investment in the community.”

Several representatives from United Bridge Partners and CenterPoint, who have formed the joint venture named Houbolt Road Extension JV, were at the meeting. But they limited their comments to one sentence on the likely timetable for the bridge opening.

“We’re hoping end of the year 2022,” CenterPoint CEO Michael Murphy said. “That could roll into spring 2023 with construction starting in September.”

Read the full article at HeraldNews.com

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Houbolt Bridge Construction Ready to Go

Construction of the Houbolt Road bridge is expected to start within the next couple of weeks. “We’re a full go as of today,” Michael Murphy, chief development officer for CenterPoint Properties said Tuesday.

read more

The Houbolt Road Extension Project

The Houbolt Road Extension Project Website The Houbolt Road Extension JV, LLC is a business partnership between CenterPoint Properties and United Bridge Partners. Will County is one of the nation’s largest transportation hubs, with demand for freight projected to...

read more

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.

read more

I-80 Public Hearings

You're InvitedI-80 Ridge Road to US Route 30 Public Hearings Wed. Nov. 6, 2019Holiday Inn1472 Rock Creek BoulevardJoliet, IL 60431 Thurs. Nov. 7, 2019All Nation Church of GodCommunity Life Center503 Water StreetJoliet, IL 60436   Des Plaines Bridges News

read more

J.B. barnstorms behind capital plan

Pritzker signed the capital bill and kicked off his day in East St. Louis, then continued on to the Lincoln Depot State Historic Site in Springfield and held another event in the afternoon within sight of the infamous Interstate 80 bridge across the Des Plaines River, set to be replaced as part of $1.2 billion in the plan earmarked for multiple bridge replacements and road upgrades in Joliet and Will County.

read more