Joliet drawbridge stays closed into November

Modernizing the Cass Street bridge is taking longer than expected, and the drawbridge in downtown Joliet will be out of commission for another month.

The closed bridge was scheduled to reopen this month. The reopening has been moved back to middle or late November, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation..

The bridge is being equipped for remote control operations. IDOT plans to move Joliet bridgetenders to a central location in 2023 after upgrades are completed on all six drawbridges.

But a motor on the Cass Street bridge needs more work than anticipated before it can be used for the remote operations, IDOT spokesperson Maria Castaneda said.

“They knew it was going to need some work,” Castaneda said. “When they opened it up, they saw it was going to need additional work.”

The Cass Street bridge has been closed since early August.

An upgrade on the Jackson Street bridge took six months this year, when additional problems were found. That job was expected to take two months.

The Cass Street bridge reopening schedule depends on weather as late fall approaches, Castaneda said.

The next downtown bridge project also depends on the weather.

Once Cass Street reopens, IDOT wants to shut down the Jefferson Street bridge for a week to do an engineering survey that will be used for a future rehabilitation of the bridge.

“That work is highly weather dependent,” Castaneda said.

Depending on the weather when the Cass Street project is done, IDOT will move ahead with the survey or delay it until spring.

In the meantime, three more bridges await upgrades for future remote tender control.

The next bridge scheduled for upgrade is McDonough Street, which will be followed by the Brandon Road bridge located outside the downtown area. IDOT will then return downtown to complete the upgrades at the Ruby Street bridge.

That work will proceed into 2023 with each bridge upgrade expected to take at least two months.

The drawbridges over the Des Plaines River – five downtown and the Brandon Road bridge outside the city limits – were built in the 1930s. The bridges, which are raised as barges pass through, always have been operated from tender houses at each bridge.