Joliet’s Cass Street bridge to close Monday

Then Cass Street bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet is scheduled to close for repairs beginning Monday, weather permitting.

The closure is part of ongoing efforts to upgrade the movable bridges in downtown Joliet to be controlled from a central location, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced this week.

The bridge is expected to be closed for approximately six weeks, according to IDOT.

Details and impacts to traffic will be shared in advance, prior to the start of construction, according to IDOT.

A detour will direct traffic to Scott Street (Illinois Route 53), Ruby Street (Illinois Route 53), Broadway Street (Illinois Route 53), Theodore Street (Illinois Route 7) and Plainfield Road (U.S. Route 30), according to IDOT.

The overall project will upgrade the bridge control system and tender house, allowing the bridge to be controlled from a central location, “creating a more efficient system of lifting and lowering the downtown bridges and increasing safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and marine traffic,” IDOT said.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area.

The work was originally scheduled for mid-December but was postponed.

For more information on IDOT projects, go to www.gettingaroundillinois.com.