State’s bridges are safe

State’s bridges undergo rigorous inspections

By OMER OSMAN
The Herald News
March 22, 2019

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At the Illinois Department of Transportation, our top priority is safe and efficient transportation. We take this mission extremely seriously and work hard every day to provide our travelers with the best experience possible.

Recently, we’ve heard concerns regarding the health of the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River.

We hear you and want to ensure we are being fully transparent as we move forward.

First, all of the state’s bridges that are open are safe for travel. If there are any bridges we believe to be unsafe, they are immediately closed.

These particular bridges in Joliet undergo a rigorous inspection schedule that goes above and beyond federal requirements. The results, which are shared online with the public and reviewed for concurrence by the Federal Highway Administration, show that these are older bridges requiring a greater level of monitoring and maintenance.

The ratings that have been widely reported actually are the “sufficiency rating” that evaluate many different factors. The condition of the bridge is one factor, but others, such as lack of shoulders, insufficient number of lanes and older design, contribute to the low rating and do not indicate a bridge is unsafe. Older bridges, built in areas that have experienced rapid growth and without the benefit of modern engineering and design, typically receive among the lower sufficiency ratings.

Read the full article.

 

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