Ground has been broken for the final phase of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s $1.3 billion Interstate 80 modernization project.
Work on building a new pair of bridges over the Des Plaines River in Joliet began in early May. The bridges are the most complex part of the I-80 improvement plan, according to IDOT. The new concrete structures will be wider than the original bridges, which were built in the 1960s, and 300 feet north of them.
Work on the new bridges is forecast to wrap up in 2028 and demolition of the old bridges in 2029. The $165 million contract was awarded to a joint venture of D. Construction Inc. and Kraemer North America.
In all, 13 miles of additional lanes, reconstructed interchanges, safety upgrades and capacity improvements will have been completed by the end of the year. That includes a new third lane in each direction from Ridge Road to Illinois 7 and from Richards Street to U.S. 30.
The full project, once completed, will have redesigned or rebuilt 16 miles of I-80 from Ridge Road in Minooka to U.S. 30 in Joliet and New Lenox, including rebuilt and improved interchanges at I-55, Larkin Avenue, Center Street, Chicago Street, Richards Street and Briggs Street. Altogether, over 30 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced.
Interstate 80 makes up a portion of one of the three coast-to-coast highways in the U.S. and carries roughly 80,000 vehicles, 25% of which are trucks, each day through Joliet.
