New Utica bridge will be open to traffic Wednesday

Motorists will get to travel over the new Route 178 bridge in Utica over the Illinois River for the first time Wednesday.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, along with several other officials and lawmakers, announced Tuesday morning during a ribbon cutting ceremony they would be switching traffic from the old structure to the new one.

More photos and a full story will be updated on the NewsTribune and The Times website later this afternoon.