Mystery 'Boom' Sound Wakes Elgin Residents, Puzzles Officials

ELGIN, IL - Mysterious "boom" sounds that wake Elgin residents in the middle of the night and even shakes their homes has city and transportation officials scratching their heads and searching for a cause. A group of residents that make up the Elgin South West Area Neighbors group have brought the issue to light and even started a petition with the hopes of grabbing the attention of local officials who could fix the problem.

Those living near Route 31 and Route 20 report hearing the loud booms -- noises they've been noticing for the past couple months, according to the Daily Herald. The noise is often heard during the early morning hours and is loud enough to wake nearby residents.

SWAN's petition was signed by 20 residents and requested state transportation officials, who have jurisdiction over Route 20 and 31, to address the boom sounds.

Sue Webb, president of the Elgin South West Area Neighbors group, got a response from IDOT last week. According to the Daily Herald, the e-mail read: "Several areas of the bridge deck have deteriorated leading to a poor riding surface, although no immediate hazards were identified. The city of Elgin has surface maintenance of the roadway in this area, and they have been requested to patch the deteriorated areas of the bridge deck to improve the ride quality."

City officials are looking into the issue, NBC reports. They aren't sure if the surface of the overpass is behind the loud boom sounds.

But, until then, the problem persists. And some say the noises, which they first noticed in June, are getting worse.

“They’ve become louder,” Webb told NBC.

More via NBC Chicago and the Daily Herald

Photo caption: Route 20 bridge in Elgin/Photo via GoogleMaps