Expect delays on Highland Avenue bridge near Lombard this summer

Drivers who regularly use Highland Avenue bridges over Butterfield Road and I-88 near Lombard can expect some headaches this summer when the road is closed for at least six weeks starting in mid-July.

DuPage County and Lombard officials have announced that construction work on the two bridges is scheduled to begin in mid-June. The nearly $1.2 million project, being completed by the county, has been split into two stages.

Officials say the first stage will last three to four weeks and involve temporary lane closures to allow crews to patch the outside lanes of the bridge decks and the concrete pavement between the bridges.

The complete, temporary closure of the Highland Avenue bridge over Butterfield Road will begin during the second stage of work, which will likely span from mid-July until the project's completion in early September. During the closure, workers will remove and replace the bridge joints, which have deteriorated beyond repair.

“It was agreed to get in there and do the work as quick as possible with the least amount of adversity,” said Christopher Snyder, the county's director of transportation. “By closing the bridge we believe we're able to to do that.”

Drivers will still be able to enter and exit I-88 and make right turns around the project area, but they will need to use 31st Street, Meyers Road, Butterfield Road and 22nd Street as detours for any situation where they would have to make a left turn and go over the bridge above Butterfield Road.

Officials say the bridge over Butterfield Road has not undergone any repairs since it was built in 1987. Snyder did not know the age of the bridge over I-88 but said it needed fewer repairs than the bridge over Butterfield.

Patching of remaining bridge decks and concrete pavement, as well as resurfacing from south of I-88 to 31st Street on Highland Avenue, will also be completed during the second stage.

Snyder said about 40,000 cars pass daily through the area that will be under construction. He said the county has worked with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Tollway, nearby businesses and leaders from Lombard and Downers Grove to inform drivers about the project. Signs notifying drivers about closures and lane changes also will be posted about a week before work begins.

Carl Goldsmith, Lombard's public works director, said the village approved an intergovernmental agreement that allows the county's contractor to make repairs to concrete panels in an area located within the village's corporate limits. The village has agreed to provide about $71,500 toward the work.