What's next for McClugage Bridge? Here's what we know about the transformation project

Despite an August crane fire and collapse, work on the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge across the Illinois River is about 75% complete. The project remains on budget, and the new bridge is expected to open to traffic late next summer or in early autumn of 2024.

The new span will feature three lanes of traffic, two wide shoulders, a distinctive arch, and a multiuse path for walkers and bikers with a viewing area.

John Love, a resident engineer at the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the crane collapse cost the contractor about 2.5 weeks in its schedule, but work has resumed and is back to normal.

"The contractor has worked seven days a week for several weeks to make up some of the lost time," he said. "The contractor has stated they will continue to try and get back as much time as they can but will need to do it safely."

Now: Watch live traffic and road conditions on the McClugage Bridge in Peoria with BridgeCam

What is next for McClugage Bridge project?

Love detailed the current status of work on the project. He said the main arch that will carry traffic across the river is being built just south of the existing bridge. Construction of the new bridge deck driving surfaces continues, and final substructure work is underway on the west end in Peoria.

Love said the bridge will be "a point of civic pride for many generations to come."

The engineer said 90% of the substructure — piers and footings — has been completed, 30% of the concrete deck surfaces have been placed, and about 70% of the steel erection is done.

Love said, "The remaining work required to open to traffic consists of: finishing several footings on the Peoria side near the railroad, bringing the east and west sides of the arch together so that cables can be installed ... and eventually once the arch build has been completed, barging it into its final position. ... After that, the remaining driving surfaces will be poured to fill in any gaps and eventual completion of the completed concrete driving surfaces."

After the arch is floated in, "the next big project milestone will be the opening of the new eastbound structure, and the time frame is currently trending around the end of summer or beginning of fall in ’24," Love said. He added, "The last and final milestone will revolve around the demolition of the current eastbound structure, which will go through most of ‘25. That work should have minimal impact on traffic."

What will McClugage Bridge look like?

The completed bridge, with its distinctive arch, will be similar but not identical to the Interstate 39 span that crosses the Illinois River near LaSalle. "Aesthetically, they are both beautiful structures, but I think the addition of the multiuse path will separate the two structures apart from each other," Love said. He added, "The multiuse path will include a belvedere, or a deck viewing area in the center span, that will offer beautiful views of the central Illinois landscape and the Peoria skyline." The bridge, he said, "will definitely be a point of civic pride for many generations to come."

The walking and biking path on the bridge will connect to two trailheads, one on each side of the river. Love said the trailhead parking lots are expected to be completed around the same time the new structure opens to traffic. He said there will be two new Ironworker Memorials, one at each trailhead. The memorials will commemorate an April 2000 incident when scaffolding slung 65 feet above the river during a McClugage Bridge repair project gave way. Three of the men working were killed.

Love said the new bridge's additional lane and wide shoulders will allow for safer passage across the river, citing fewer traffic bottlenecks, easier access for first responders when accidents occur and modernized highway entrances and exits for local commuters. "Combined, this will make the morning and afternoon commutes safer, more efficient for motorists, and generally a more enjoyable ride," he said.

Construction of the bridge began in 2019, with a planned expense of about $167 million.

For daily updates and bridge views, visit mcclugagebridge.com.

Related: Tucked along the Illinois River near Peoria, this man-made island helps nature thrive

What are the plans for the Bob Michel Bridge?

Meanwhile, the Bob Michel Bridge project is on budget and the span is expected to reopen to traffic by mid-November, as planned.

The first stage of the project — bridge deck overlay, storm sewer, and pavement work — has been completed, said Nick Volk, a construction field engineer with IDOT. The contractor is currently working on the second stage of deck overlay and bridge widening, Volk said.

"The majority of that work should wrap up over the next month. Work has begun on the new pavement for the second stage on each end of the bridge, and a new multiuse path has been constructed adjacent to the bridge that connects Adams Street to Washington Street in Peoria."

Rehabilitation of the Bob Michel Bridge carrying Illinois Route 40 over the Illinois River began in March. IDOT has estimated the cost of the project at $24.6 million.

For more information on the project, visit bobmichelbridge.com. The website features project details, maps, historical facts and photos.

More: The Bob Michel Bridge is closing soon. Here's what you need to know

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What's next in the McClugage Bridge project? What we know