New Interstate 80 Bridge Over Joliet's Des Plaines River Is Being Built: Here's Proof In These Photos

JOLIET, IL —Tens of thousands of cars — and semi-tractor trailers — zip east and west along Interstate 80 crossing the 1960s-era Des Plaines River Bridge that is nearing the end of its existence.

But to see the proof, you need to drive along Joliet's Water Street where dozens of older homes have been torn down. Several more are boarded up and awaiting their turn to be flattened by a bulldozer.

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On Tuesday, Joliet Patch's editor visited the site to check on the new I-80 Bridge project's progress. It's evident. A bulldozer was moving mounds of dirt as several excavators were parked nearby, waiting for their turn to tear apart more of these vacated homes. The Illinois Department of Transportation is responsible for clearing the land because this is where the new Interstate 80 Bridge for Joliet will go.

During the few years, you will be able to drive between New Lenox and Minooka using the new and much-improved I-80 Bridge over Joliet's Des Plaines River and no longer feel worried or unsafe about the bridge's collapse.

According to a post from the Illinois Department of Transportation's I-80 Will County website:

Construction at the Joliet Chicago Street Interchange began in March, with work on the new Des Plaines River Bridge launching later this spring.

"This marks the home stretch of the I-80 reconstruction in Joliet — the most complex and transformative phase of the entire 16-mile project. By the end of this year, nearly 80 percent of the corridor will be complete.

"When finished, I-80 will feature three lanes in each direction, modern bridges, rebuilt interchanges, and improved capacity designed to move people and freight more safely and efficiently. This entire corridor will be rebuilt, expanded, and modernized by the end of 2028."