Pedestrian bridge taking shape over Route 59

Naperville pedestrians and bicyclists soon will be able to avoid traffic when crossing Route 59 on the city's southwest side.

A new pedestrian bridge, spanning Route 59 between 95th and 103rd streets, is expected to be complete later this month.

In the meantime, the city is alerting motorists to lane closures scheduled for late Monday and early Tuesday.

With additional residential and commercial developments in the area, the bridge will "improve local and regional pedestrian and bicycle mobility and accessibility," project engineer Jana Bryant said via e-mail.

It eventually will connect Frontier Park on the east and the Virgil Gilman Trail on the west.

Construction began in October and is expected to wrap up this month. The city plans to hold a ceremony once the project is complete.

For safety reasons, Bryant said the bridge will be lighted on both ends, the middle will be fully enclosed and elevated sections will have a fence or railing.

It also will be sitting atop piers giving it "a more open design to allow better visibility to area businesses … (there will be) no pier located in the Route 59 median for drivers' safety," Bryant said.

In order for work to be done on the center of the bridge, Route 59 between 95th Street and 103rd Street will be closed periodically from 11 p.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Tuesday. City officials are encouraging motorists to use Book Road or 248th Street as alternate routes during that time.

Some of that road work had been scheduled for this week but was pushed back when a shipment of parts was delayed by storms.