Residents Want To Keep Hinsdale Bridge

HINSDALE, IL – Two weeks ago, Hinsdale Village President Tom Cauley questioned whether the village should spend millions to replace a bridge that he suspected few used.

It turns out a bunch of residents want it.

The village says the Fox Lane bridge over Salt Creek is deteriorating.

The winding street, also known as Road D, links drivers from York Road to Salt Creek Lane, where an office park is.

At Tuesday's Village Board meeting, resident Dennis Redmond, who lives near the bridge, said he wanted officials to understand the feelings of 350 residents in the Graue Mill subdivision.

"From a residential standpoint, many of the residents use the bridge at Road D, so they don't have to wait in traffic from 4:00 to 5:30 to try to turn left onto York Road," Redmond said. "I don't need to tell you what a problem York Road is at the backup there. Many times, it's backed up to 31st Street."

Closing the bridge, which is in northeastern Hinsdale, would add to the problem, he said.

He also said the neighborhood includes many older residents.

"We probably have ambulances come in once a day, and that bridge allows the ambulances to make a quicker dash to the hospital as well," Redmond said.

Additionally, he said, the bridge is important for workers at the nearby office park.

Cauley responded he did not want the village to leap to replace the bridge without a discussion.

"We'll likely repair or replace it," he said.

In his years with the village government, Cauley said he has only heard about the bridge when residents complain about cut-through traffic. But he said he hasn't heard that residents want the bridge.

Since his statement at the meeting two weeks ago, Cauley said he has received about 20 emails in support of the bridge.

As for cut-through traffic, Redmond said it wasn't an issue for him.

The village has approved preliminary engineering for the bridge. Its replacement cost is estimated at $2.5 million.