Renwick Bridge Project On Schedule; Road Closure Begins May 29

It was a project more than 20 years in the making, but work on a new structure to replace the century-old one-lane Renwick Road bridge is moving along quickly, officials say, with a planned completion date in November.

But as road reconstruction begins, motorists who still use the historic bridge in their daily travels may want to find an alternate route.

The intersection of Renwick and River roads is scheduled to close to through traffic from May 29 through mid-August.

Craig Young of Hutchison Engineering said the existing bridge, built around 1912, will remain open, but detour signs will redirect traffic around the intersection.

“You’ll still be able to cross the old bridge, but you’ll have to go south to Fraser Road to get to Route 59,” Young said.

In the meantime, construction on the new two-lane bridge is well under way, Young said.

Plans to replace the bridge, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Highway Department, have been in the works for years. Despite delays — and a dispute with village officials who objected to the at-grade design of the new bridge — the project began last fall.

Originally, the project was designed as an above-grade bridge, rising over the DuPage River. But Township Highway Commissioner Sam Reichert determined that residents would prefer an at-grade crossing of the Canadian National railroad tracks, which he believed would fit better aesthetically with the bridge’s surroundings.

While the redesign meant higher engineering costs, Young said the at-grade option cut construction costs considerably. That, paired with sending the project out for bid at a time when construction jobs were scarce, helped bring the total cost under the projected $9 million budget.

Ultimately, the project was awarded to contractor Albin Carlson, with a price tag at around $7.4 million. The Illinois Department of Transportation is footing the bill for 80 percent of the project, while the remaining 20 percent is funded jointly by the township highway department and Will County.

When completed, the bridge will span 644 feet over the DuPage River, with two lanes and a bike path.

Township Highway Commissioner Sam Reichert said traffic will be able to use the new bridge by November.

“When I say it’ll be done in November, I don’t think we’ll have all the trees planted [by then],” he said. “I think the spruce-up will be a little longer.”

The one-lane bridge will remain open to pedestrians.

“They’ll put balustrades across the bridge so nobody can drive across it,” Reichert said. “You can walk out there and stand over the river.”

Reichert said he’s pleased with the progress on the new bridge.

“They’ve really had a good [construction] season,” he said. “They’re right on track.”

Young said an unveiling of the bridge, designed so its walls mirror that of the historic , will be held sometime this fall.