The Lucinda Avenue bridge has reopened for the fall and winter during a break in construction, while the North First Street bridge is on target to permanently reopen by the end of October.
Crews have removed the closure and detour for the Lucinda Avenue bridge replacement. Relocation of utilities will continue this fall before construction breaks for the winter. Construction will resume in the spring when the closure and detour will be put back into place. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Work continues on the replacement on the North First Street bridge over the Kishwaukee River. The bridge is scheduled to permanently reopen to traffic by late October. A new path being built to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to cross First Street beneath the bridge is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The projects are progressing following a delay earlier this summer caused by utility conflicts. The City had notified the utility companies of the need to relocate overhead powerlines and natural gas lines in early 2022. However, the utility companies did not begin their work soon enough to allow the bridges to reopen this month as initially planned.
The City would like to thank the community for its patience as the work is completed.