Jefferson Street Bridge Not Reopening Soon

JOLIET, IL — Day after day in June, motorists heading toward downtown Joliet are greeted with a sign that nobody likes to see. The sign says "Bridge Closed" and there's a detour posted. The Jefferson Street Bridge, the main bridge into downtown Joliet from the west side of Joliet, has remained shutdown the entire month of June. The bridge will also be shutdown for the entire month of July and about half of August.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is undertaking significant mechanical repairs to the bridge, city of Joliet public works director Jim Trizna said. He told Patch last week that mechanical repair projects often take a while. On a positive note, Trizna said that since the new coronavirus pandemic, there has been a huge decline in the number of vehicles traveling Joliet's streets.

Even though the Jefferson Street Bridge closure has been an obvious inconvenience for many, Trizna said, the bridge closure has not caused any major traffic backups at the city's other drawbridges including Ruby Street, Jackson Street and McDonough Street.

The Jefferson Street bridge shutdown is also taking place during the fourth month that downtown Joliet's Harrah's Casino & Hotel remains closed to guests because of the pandemic.

Ordinarily, Harrah's draws several thousand gamblers to its downtown casino on North Joliet Street. Harrah's also has several hundred employees who use the Jefferson Street Bridge to get to work.

Trizna told Patch that it's his understanding that IDOT hopes to have the Jefferson Street Bridge reopened by the middle of August at the latest.