I-80 bridge in Joliet needs fixes, work slated for spring
SUBURBAN CHICAGO
By Grant Morgan | Capitol News Illinois
March 19, 2019
Interstate 80 bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet. | Google Earth
SPRINGFIELD – The bridge on Interstate 80 that spans the Des Plaines River has garnered recent media attention after state inspectors in a report early last year described sections of it as “critical,” “intolerable” and a “high priority for replacement.”
Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee brought a panel of three witnesses to discuss the bridge’s conditions.
“There’s a whole lot of [industrial] growth going on there, and our municipalities are attempting to deal with it as best they can,” said Hugh O’Hara, executive director of the Will County Governmental League. “But concerns about the safety of the bridge are making that more and more difficult.”
About 18 percent of I-80 traffic is freight vehicles, according to Carl Puzey, the Illinois Department of Transportation’s chief engineer for bridges and structures.
Puzey’s colleague, IDOT Director of Highways Paul Loete, said freight traffic generally causes a high degree of wear and tear on roads and bridges.
“And there’s no question that if you look at our bridges up and down I-80 from Iowa to Indiana,” Loete added, “that corridor maintains a high degree of truck traffic, and bridges are in general less than their ideal service lives because of it.”
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.