New bridge on the way in Crystal Lake Park

Deb Pressey, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read

May 6—URBANA — A new pedestrian bridge is on the way in Urbana's Crystal Lake Park, and it's going to be twice the width of the current one so both walkers and bicyclists will have room to cross.

Preparation work for the new bridge over the park lake got underway this past week and will be continuing through this month.

Then the project will be paused until mid-August, according to officials of the park district and Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District.

While the bridge serves park visitors, it's also an important piece of infrastructure for the sanitary district, since the current structure contains pipes that carry sewage from as far away as North Mattis Avenue in Champaign all the way to the treatment plant in northeast Urbana.

The bridge is currently 70 years old and reaching the end of its usable life, and replacing it is roughly a $1.2 million expense, according to sanitary district Executive Director Rick Manner.

Tree removal and vegetation clearance has already begun, and excavation work for the bridge abutment construction is set to begin next week, said Brad Bennett, director of engineering for the sanitary district.

The work will continue through May then hit pause until the expected arrival of the bridge deck in mid-August, he said.

The new bridge — to be eight feet wide versus the current bridge's four-foot width — is going to be a metal structure, about 20-30 feet north of the current one, and the sewer pipes will hang a bit below it rather than be embedded in the structure, he said.

The work is being coordinated with ongoing infrastructure improvements underway in Crystal Lake Park, and planned for minimal disruption to park visitors, according to park district Director Tim Bartlett.

The park district has had a series of improvements completed or being completed in Crystal Lake Park over the past decade, among them a lake rehabilitation project, road and trail projects and an improved drop-off and pick-up area at the Lake House and new retaining wall.

"We definitely want folks to know it's planned and coordinated, and will have a great outcome," Bartlett said.