Mendota seeks grant for $690,000 bridge work

A bridge repair near Black Bros. in Mendota will cost about $690,000. The city hopes to get some state help funding it.

Monday, the Mendota City Council unanimously adopted a resolution seeking a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to pay for bridge work at Fifth Street and Eighth and Ninth avenues.

If successful, the grant would pay about 50% of the project cost. The city would be responsible for the remainder.

“Either way, it has to be done,” Mayor David Boelk said, noting the city could get an answer from IDOT within three months.

In a companion vote, the council agreed to enter an engineering agreement for the bridge work with Chamlin & Associates for $21,000.

“You can’t rebuild these bridges without doing some homework,” Alderman Jim Fitzpatrick said of the engineering agreement.