Batavia bridge work delayed by weather

Construction on the Wilson Street bridge won't be finished until at least March, Batavia's bridge liaison said Friday.

Weather delays have pushed the already-late project back several more weeks, Terry Heffron said.

"It's so darn cold out there," he said. "It just makes it a lot harder for things to get done."

Now contractors Illinois Constructors Corp. are looking at pouring the north half of the bridge in mid-February, with a March completion date.

For the concrete to cure, the area needs to be about 50 degrees, but contractors can use tents and heaters to help achieve that.

The original completion date for the bridge was Dec. 14, but contractors said heavy rains early last year pushed that date back.

The Batavia City Council denied a request for an additional three-week full closure of the bridge to try to catch up last summer.

The Illinois Department of Transportation had approved a waiver not to fine contractors $7,500 a day past the Dec. 14 deadline for the 36-day rain delay.

Officials then said the bridge could be substantially finished in January if the weather was favorable.

That hasn't happened.

Below-zero temperatures and heavy snow have made working more difficult and slower, Heffron said.

"They're making headway," he said. "It's just not extremely fast."