Wheaton receives $9.7 million from state for bridge project
Wheaton has secured roughly $9.7 million in state grant money for its long-awaited Wesley/Manchester bridge project.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved funding for the planned construction of a new bridge to carry Wesley Street over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Replacing the aging bridge has been on the city's to-do list for years. The grant is a "very big step" in getting the nearly $18 million needed for the makeover, officials said.
"We're definitely glad to hear it has been approved and it is the amount we were expecting to receive," said Paul Redman, the city's director of engineering. "Hopefully in the next few weeks, we can finalize some agreements with (the Illinois Department of Transportation) for the remainder of the funding."
How much the city will have to contribute to the project depends on the number of grant dollars it receives from IDOT. Union Pacific and DuPage County already have agreed to contribute a combined total of roughly $1.55 million.
Wheaton officials hope to begin construction this year. The work is expected to take up to two years.
Once complete, the bridge will be wider and higher than the existing structure.
It also will be strong enough for fire trucks, public works vehicles and school buses to use. State officials said the existing bridge has a sufficiency rating of four out of a maximum possible score of 100. IDOT regulations have set the weight restriction on the bridge at five tons.
"It's not a very good rating, but I don't want to concern people that it's going to fall down." Redman said. "But it's certainly deteriorated. Most of that sufficiency rating is based on the fact it can't carry the weight it was originally designed to carry."
While the bridge was placed over the tracks in Wheaton in 1917, it was built in 1877 as part of a larger crossing in Iowa before being moved to its present location.
In addition to the bridge reconstruction, the project includes installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Wesley Street and Manchester Road just south of the bridge.