The worn steel city
Joliet, Ill., battles crumbling bridges, including I-80 span
By Bill Wilson
APRIL 01, 2019
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.
Today that collar is badly faded and has a couple of noticeable stains on it, one being the I-80 bridge over the Des Plaines River, specifically its westbound portion which received a bridge inspection report full of engineering expletives a year ago, and still remains open to traffic today with a promise of repair work in May.
Joliet has a total of five bridges crossing the Des Plaines River, and all of them have lost significant strength over the years. The Ruby Street Bridge, which carries S.R. 53, West Bridge Street Bridge, Cass Street Bridge, Jefferson Street Bridge, and the I-80 westbound and eastbound structures are all structurally deficient. Four of them received a rating of 2 out of 9 in at least one bridge inspection category over the last year. The Ruby Street Bridge received a 2 in the Deck Geometry category, with inspectors tagging it “structurally intolerable” and a “high priority for replacement.” The West Street Bridge received identical marks, as did the Jefferson Street Bridge, which also received a 3 rating in the Structural Evaluation category marked “structurally intolerable.” But the most critical span is the I-80 bridge, which is made up of two spans that carry over 84,000 cars every day. The I-80 westbound bridge received a rating of 2 in the Superstructure and Structural Evaluation categories, with the superstructure flagged in critical condition which “may require closure.” The eastbound portion is in only slightly better health, receiving a 3 rating in the Structural Evaluation category.
Des Plaines Bridges News
State Plans Structural Overhaul Of I-80 Bridges Over Des Plaines River in Joliet
The state has made plans for making structural repairs on a couple of well-used bridges that need them.
A message from the I-80 bridge — get out the repair tools, Illinois
In what other state do highway billboards warn you to drive over a bridge at your own risk?
I-80 bridge in Joliet needs fixes, work slated for spring
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.”
Joliet Bridge Still Showing ‘Permanent Deformation’ Worrying Engineers
It’s a story we brought you first on CBS 2 about a bridge in Joliet with one of the worst structural ratings in the state.
State Rep. Walsh calls for emergency repairs to I-80 bridge
State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, released a statement Tuesday calling for emergency repairs to the Interstate 80 bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet.
IDOT insists I-80 bridge in Joliet is safe
The state on Thursday declared the Interstate 80 bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet is safe despite an inspection report describing sections as “critical,” “intolerable” and a “high priority for replacement.”
Deteriorating I-80 bridges at Joliet worry officials
The discovery of cracks in steel beams along Lake Shore Drive this week raised alarms about other problem bridges.
Think the shutdown of northbound Lake Shore Drive was bad? Will County bridges are even more alarming.
The discovery of cracks in steel beams along Lake Shore Drive this week raised alarms about other problem bridges.