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Crane working on Elgin Riverside project sinks

During ongoing construction of the Riverside Drive Promenade project in Elgin Monday a crane rolled too close to the river’s edge on unsupported ground and created a sink hole, which canted the boom out over the river.

Another crane was brought in to haul it out and onto firm ground, City Engineer Joe Evers said.

Evers doesn’t think the problem will delay the project more than a day or two.

The rescue crane was sent to the downtown site at 2:30 p.m. Monday and was expected to pull the machine out by night. The workers and managers of IHC Construction were not happy about it, but no one was hurt in the process, Evers said, “I imagine it’s a little embarrassing for IHC,” he added.

IHC personnel declined to comment.

On the bright side, the project is looking good.

“We’re set to meet our time frame,” Evers said. The project started in mid-June and is expected to be done in a year. After a rough start, the project is on its way, Evers said. “The fact that the river is down is good for us.”

A coffer is under way and is expected to take two weeks. After it’s finished, it will take another two weeks to drain the water from the portion of the riverfront so a new structure can be built to support the promenade, Evers said.

Plans call for lots of plants, LED lighting and overlooks spaced along the walkway.

Project managers plan to opening bids for construction of a new retaining wall in mid-July, Evers said.

  A construction crane fell through an unsupported portion of Riverside Drive Monday in downtown Elgin while working on the promenade project. Another crane was brought in to try to pull this one out of the hole. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
  A second crane is brought in to help pull up a construction crane that fell through an unsupported portion of the road Monday while working on the parking deck at the corner of Chicago Street and Grove Avenue in downtown Elgin. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
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