I-55 closure expected as bridge installed over Black Road

THE INSTALLATION of a walk bridge along the south side of Black Road is scheduled for 1 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22. Traffic will have to be stopped on the interstate for 15 minutes as the two bridge sections, which total 300 feet, are set in place. Photo provided.

By: 
SUBMITTED REPORT

A pedestrian bridge scheduled to be installed over Interstate 55 will be one of the final pieces of a plan by the Forest Preserve District to link two trails.

The installation along the south side of Black Road is scheduled for 1 a.m. Wednesday, September 22. Traffic will have to be stopped on the interstate for 15 minutes as the two bridge sections, which total 300 feet, are set in place. Weather and other factors could affect this timeline.

This is the second pedestrian bridge to be installed along Black Road as part of the Forest Preserve's plan. The first bridge, a 260-foot span over the DuPage River, was installed in August 2020.

The two bridges and a path along Black Road will connect the DuPage River Trail in Hammel Woods to the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Rock Run Preserve. This much-anticipated connection will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to travel from one trail system to another and to safely move along Black Road over the river and interstate from Shorewood to Joliet.

Finishing touches on the project will continue, including trail connections along Black Road, retaining walls, bridge decking and traffic signal adjustments at East Frontage Road. The work is expected to be finished in October. Until then, path users should obey the "trail closed" signs that are posted in the construction areas.

Grants from the federally funded Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program are providing 80 percent of the project's cost, with the Forest Preserve contributing 20 percent as a local share. 

ITEP is a competitive program for projects that promote alternative transportation options, including bike and pedestrian travel. And CMAQ is designed to improve air quality and mitigate congestion.

The Forest Preserve has been planning the project since 1999 but did not begin to receive grant funding until 2014 and 2015. The project is being overseen by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the work is being performed by D Construction.

The project was delayed the past few years because utility companies encountered bedrock while attempting to move their lines. But the lines were ultimately relocated, and the work could proceed.

In addition to linking the two trails and preserves, the Black Road project also will provide a critical link to more than 50 miles of regional trails including the I&M Canal Trail and the Old Plank Road Trail.

"We've long focused on providing access to forest preserves and linking people, places and nature," said Ralph Schultz, the Forest Preserve's executive director. "With the connection of these two regional trails, folks in Shorewood, Joliet, Crest Hill, Rockdale and towns farther away are linked to each other and to additional regional and local trails, schools, colleges, libraries and places to shop, eat and explore."