Lisle bridge to reopen Thursday

A reconstructed Short Street bridge in Lisle is poised to reopen to traffic Thursday morning, nearly a month ahead of schedule.

Drivers will be able to use the rebuilt bridge just west of Route 53 after a planned 9 a.m. Thursday ribbon-cutting ceremony, officials said.

The nearly $1 million structure, which spans the East Branch of the DuPage River between the Lisle Police Department and Lisle High School, provides eastern access to the high school, Community Park and businesses in an industrial park.

Jason Elias, Lisle’s public works director, said the previous 37-year-old bridge was closed March 30. “It was deteriorating to the point where it needed replacement,” he said.

Elias said the new bridge is wider because it has a multiuse bike path along the north side and a sidewalk along the south side. The previous bridge only had a sidewalk on its north side.

Lisle officials say they are pleased the work was finished before its targeted completion date of Sept. 7 and before the start of school.

“We had favorable weather for the construction and we didn’t run into a lot of unforeseen problems,” Elias said. “The contractor was a good contractor to work with.”

The work was be done by Romeoville-based Herlihy Mid-Continent Company at a total cost of $961,032. Officials said the village is responsible for paying 20 percent of that cost with the remaining 80 percent coming from the Federal Highway Bridge Program.