$96 million rebuild of 3 Joliet I-80 bridges nears completion

The bridges carrying both directions of Interstate 80 over Hickory Creek, Richards Street and Rowell Avenue/Canadian National Railroad in Joliet are now substantially complete, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The state agency announced the bridges will stay two lanes in each direction with expanded shoulders until all of the I-80 work is finished, the new structures eventually will accommodate three lanes each, IDOT said in a news release.

The improvements on the Hickory Creek, Richards Street and Rowell Avenue/Canadian National Railroad bridges came with a $96 million price tag, according to IDOT, and are one part of the $1.3 billion I-80 reconstruction and modernization project.

“This is a significant milestone in the historic I-80 reconstruction project, which will improve safety and access on this important corridor,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in the release.

Work is continuing on other Joliet bridges along I-80, including Briggs Street and River Road being replaced. Richards Street is being reconstructed with a new bridge deck over Hickory Creek, and all bridges crossing I-80 except Shepley Road will include new or improved sidewalk and bicycle accommodations, according to IDOT.

Major projects remaining are new interchanges with I-55 and Larkin Avenue (Illinois 7), which will break ground in 2025. The final pieces are new Chicago Street (U.S. 52/Illinois 53) and Center Street interchanges as well as new bridges over the Des Plaines River, all anticipated to begin in 2026, according to IDOT.

The entire I-80 project is anticipated to be substantially complete by the end of 2028, with landscaping, demolition of the Des Plaines River bridges and miscellaneous work extending into 2029.

Visit I80will.org for more information, including a project map and timeline.

Will County enterprise office

Gov. JB Pritzker in a visit to Will County on Friday announced the opening of a new local resource center for IDOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, designed to create more opportunities for minority-and female-owned firms to do business on I-80 and other projects.

The new DBE Resource Center, located at 858 Center Court, Unit A, in Shorewood, will offer assistance for firms that want to become certified DBEs and learn about contracting opportunities in the area without having to travel to meet with IDOT staff in Chicago or Schaumburg.

“The new resource center will open doors for female- and minority-owned businesses through the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, making sure that everyone has a stake in our state’s progress,” state Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, said in the release.

Bertino-Tarrant said, “I appreciate Gov. Pritzker and [Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer] Osman prioritizing this project and ensuring that local small businesses have an opportunity to access contracting opportunities through the new DBE Resource Center.”

For more information, visit https://idot.click/DBE_Resource or call 815-630-3400 to make an appointment.