Bridge work starts Wednesday in south Naperville
Pedestrian sidewalks are coming to the Washington Street bridge that passes over the DuPage River in south Naperville.
Construction begins Wednesday, and will mean delays for drivers on Washington, between Ring Road and Naper Boulevard, as lanes are closed to allow space for the sidewalk work.
Sidewalks will be added to both sides of the bridge in a $2.1 million project for which the city is paying roughly $688,000. The rest comes from federal funds.
The sidewalks will provide safe access to shopping centers in Naperville and Bolingbrook and to nearby paths such as the DuPage River Trail and parks such as Weigand Riverfront Community Park. People on bike or on foot now have nowhere to cross the bridge except in the same lanes cars use.
Crews building sidewalks also will add a new concrete slab to protect the bridge's beams and extend its life by 15 to 20 years.
Work is scheduled to take place 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and possibly on Saturdays, the city said in a news release.
During the first phase beginning Wednesday, the southbound lanes of Washington will be closed between Ring Road and Naper Boulevard, and two-way traffic will be maintained on the usual northbound side of the street. Starting in mid-August, the configuration will be reversed with the northbound lanes closed for construction.
The majority of the work is expected to be complete by mid-November, but cleanup details could continue until December.