Future of Des Plaines River bridge at ‘standstill’

Lockport — A plan to someday build another bridge to ease the flow of traffic over the Des Plaines River is at a standstill.

A Will County Board committee on Thursday rejected a proposal that effectively would have put phase one engineering on ice for a proposed bridge that would span from Caton Farm Road on the west side of the river to Bruce Road on the on east side.

Phase one engineering for the project, which is needed if the bridge is ever to be built, started 20 years ago and there is no end date in sight. But county board members said now is not the time to stop.

Another bridge of the Des Plaines River is “more than just a convenience,” county board member Annette Parker said Thursday before joining a 7-0 vote against shelving plans for the project. “It’s for public safety.”

Parker pointed to the volume of traffic on the nearest bridge, the the two-lane 9th Street bridge that runs between Route 53 and downtown Lockport.

The 9th Street bridge in Lockport, seen here during early afternoon on July 14, 2022, is one of the few crossings over the Des Plaines River for traffic moving between Will County and the southwest suburbs. — The 9th Street bridge in Lockport, seen here during early afternoon Thursday, becomes a congested route during rush-hour traffic. (Bob Okon)

“I’ve been there when emergency vehicles have to come through,” she said. “It’s not easy.”

The bridge is part of a $670 million plan to create a new commuter corridor and an alternative to the 9th Street bridge that is often clogged with rush-hour traffic. It is part of a Route 7 corridor that connects Will County with the southwest suburbs.

Phase one engineering is a step in the governmental process required to build roads and bridges.

But whether phase one engineering is officially put on ice or not it cannot be completed, said Jeff Ronaldson, transportation director for Will County. At least not until the state, county or a municipality – or some combination of the three – is willing to step up and become the official sponsor of the project.

“IDOT [Illinois Department of Transportation] has told me that they will not be approving phase one without a sponsor,” Ronaldson said.

A sponsor basically takes ownership of the project, which includes responsibility for funding. So far, no one has been willing to do that, Ronaldson said.

At $670 million, sponsorship can be an expensive proposition.

The Caton Farm-Bruce Road corridor is not a state or federal route, which so far leaves it in the hands of local government and local budgets.

A proposed bridge would carry Caton Farm Road, which now stops at Route 53, as seen here in July 2022, over the Des Plaines River in Will County. — A proposed bridge would carry Caton Farm Road, which now stops at Route 53, over the Des Plaines River in Will County. (Bob Okon)

“Someone has to take this bridge, which no one is wanting to do,” Ronaldson said. “I’m at a standstill. Even if they want to move forward on phase one, I can’t.”

So Ronaldson proposed putting the project into what is called PEL (Planning and Environmental Linkages) status, which effectively shelves phase one engineering until sponsorship is established.

The proposal stirred fears that PEL would effectively kill the project.

“We’ve given $346,000 to this project to get a phase one report,” Lockport City Administrator Ben Benson said.

Benson attended the Executive Committee meeting, planning to emphasize the importance of the future bridge if the committee was inclined to shelve phase one engineering.

A proposed bridge over the Des Plaines River would connect on the east side of the river with Bruce Road outside Lockport, seen here in July 2022. — A proposed bridge over the Des Plaines River would connect on the east side of the river with Bruce Road outside Lockport. (Bob Okon)

“It isn’t just Lockport. It’s the entire region,” Benson said. “There are three crossings over the Des Plaines River – 135th Street in Romeoville, Ninth Street in Lockport and the Joliet lift bridges.”

That’s not enough, he said.

Nick Palmer, chief of staff for the county board, said it might be time to revisit funding possibilities for the project.

“I think we’re going to have another meeting with IDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to discuss what we can do and what we can’t do,” Palmer said.

Ronaldson would welcome that.

“If they want to get together and resolve sponsorship,” he said, “I would move forward with phase one.”

Future of Des Plaines River bridge at ‘standstill’

On the drawing board for 20 years, Caton Farm Road-Bruce Road bridge needs someone willing to own it