State Street bridge work comes to end in S. Elgin

Were you wondering why traffic was squeezed the last several Saturdays on South Elgin's State Street bridge?

The village was installing new joints, those long strips of black rubber you'll find at either ends of the bridge.

Those pieces help the bridge expand or contract with temperature fluctuations without putting stress on the concrete, said Chuck Behm, public works director.

And as a convenience to you workaday types, construction was done only on the last four Saturdays so the bridge could remain open on weekdays.

The good news is that it will be clear sailing this weekend now that the project is done, Behm said.

This $41,000 job was necessary, Behm said, because the joints had slipped down into the crevices between the slabs of pavement, eliminating the buffer between the edge of the pavement and vehicles. And that constant contact was beginning to form potholes and other minor damage, he said.

Putting the work off would have only meant bigger potholes -- not anything approaching a collapse.

Joints are typically replaced every 10 years depending on wear and tear, Behm said.

And the bridge, built in 1987, will undergo a face-lift in 2017 at which time workers will replace the joints again.