Jackson Street Bridge: This Update Isn't Good News For Joliet

JOLIET, IL — There seems to be an unwritten policy at the Illinois Department of Transportation forbidding the city of Joliet from having all of its drawbridges operating at the same time.

In February, at the time of the Jefferson Street Bridge's reopening after a closure of 20 months, IDOT issued a press release stating that "shortly after the reopening of Jefferson Street, the Jackson Street bridge will close, with an anticipated reopening in late April.

"The closure is necessary for the installation of new aerial cables and control system, along with various tender house upgrades. The work is part of an ongoing project to upgrade the downtown movable bridges that will allow them to be controlled from a central location, creating a more efficient system of lifting and lowering the bridges and increasing safety for pedestrians, motorists and marine traffic."

On Tuesday, Joliet Patch's editor drove to the Jackson Street Bridge and noticed not one single Illinois Department of Transportation worker making repairs to the bridge. Not one.

The bridge remains in the upright position, and it's unclear, if and when, the Jackson Street Bridge will work in the city of Joliet.

On Wednesday, IDOT's communications office notified Joliet Patch there is not a definitive timetable on when the Jackson Street Bridge will be reopened in Joliet.

"Unfortunately, I don't have that answer," remarked Maria Castaneda, public information officer at the Illinois Department of Transportation. "We don't know."

In the best case scenario, it may be a few weeks, but if the problems persist, it may be a few months down the road, according to IDOT.

The software technology being installed for the Jackson Street Bridge is not recognizing the central control system so that everything can work properly, Castaneda said.

Castaneda said that IDOT is working diligently to solve the problem. However, IDOT may need to fabricate new parts for the bridge if the computer software issues can't be fixed.

Last year, when the Jefferson Street Bridge repairs fell way behind schedule, Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, City Manager Jim Cappareli and a host of others began to speak out and hold news conferences in order to pressure IDOT to speed up the work.

So far, Joliet's city officials have largely remained silent in regard to the Jackson Street Bridge's continued closure.

With the Jackson Street Bridge out of commission, travelers must use the Ruby Street Bridge or the Cass Street Bridge as their alternatives.

Meanwhile, a well-known downtown Joliet Mexican restaurant right near the Jackson Street Bridge has closed. Catrinas Mex posted a sign on its door announcing it is no longer open. Having the Jackson Street Bridge in an upright position created a major traffic inconvenience for people on the west side of Joliet wanting to dine at Catrinas Mex, which opened in 2018.