Aurora unveiling Ohio Street bridge plans

Aurora residents can get a peek next week at plans to replace the Ohio Street bridge spanning the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Indian Creek.

The city will sponsor an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, at police headquarters, 1200 E. Indian Trail Road.

The city wants to replace the structurally deficient bridge, which was built in 1922, with a new one that provides a bicycle/pedestrian path on the west side and a sidewalk on the east side. The street will be raised in order to meet the railroad's vertical clearance requirement of more than 23 feet.

Construction tentatively is slated for 2014 and would close the road for about a year. The project is estimated to cost $7 million, with 80 percent, or $5.6 million, funded through federal grant money. The bridge will have a life span of between 50 and 75 years.

Written comments about the project can be submitted at the meeting; mailed to the City of Aurora, Public Works/Engineering Division, c/o Mr. Chris Lirot, Project Engineer, 44 E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60507; or can be emailed to clirot@aurora-il.org by Monday, Sept. 26.