Bridge work on Interstate 55 in Montgomery County begins

Zach Roth, State Journal-Register
·2 min read
The Illinois Department of Transportation is urging travelers to use patience and caution on roadways before, during and after Monday's total solar eclipse.

A pair of bridges in Montgomery County will receive upgrades this spring and summer, courtesy of the state's Rebuild Illinois project.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the Morrisonville Avenue bridge south of Farmersville will be completely removed and replaced along with the installation of a brand-new bridge deck.

In addition, the Mine Avenue bridge at the Farmersville exit along Interstate 55 will have its bridge deck replaced with a new one as part of this project. The projects are aiming to improve and maintain the road surface of each bridge, with new guardrails and pavement markings also a part of the improvements.

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Work on both projects was scheduled to begin Thursday with the Morrisonville Avenue project slated to be completed in mid-July and the Mine Avenue project having a late fall timeline for completion.

The work is the first step toward a $24.7 million overhaul in the area that will include improvements to a bridge along Waggoner Avenue and resurfacing of 4 1/2 miles along I-55 between the Farmersville exit at mile marker 72 and the Morrisonville Avenue bridge at mile marker 67.

The I-55 resurfacing will begin in April, while the third bridge improvement will begin work sometime this summer.

The bridge on Morrisonville Avenue will be closed to all traffic for the duration of the project, with IDOT asking motorists to seek alternate routes.

As for Mine Avenue, the bridge will remain open to two-way traffic with a lane reduction shifted over to one side of the bridge to allow for reconstruction of the concrete deck. In addition, lane closures along I-55 may be possible for the duration of the project.

IDOT is asking motorists to allow for extra time for trips through the corridor and to be aware changing conditions, along with workers and equipment within the work zones.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: I-55 bridge work in Montgomery County begins this week