‘Getting here just got a whole lot easier’: Naperville celebrates Washington Street bridge opening

Getting to downtown Naperville is a bit easier these days.

All five lanes of the Washington Street bridge are fully open to trucks and cars alike — ending a two-year-long project and truck weight restrictions.

“Let’s spread the word that getting here just got a whole lot easier,” Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli said Friday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As a Chicago-area marching band played, Wehrli and other dignitaries boarded the Naperville Trolley for a celebratory ride across the bridge.

“This is a huge day for Naperville,” said Katie Wood, executive director for the Downtown Naperville Alliance.

Construction started in 2023. It included a complete rebuild of the more than 40-year-old bridge. The total cost of the project was approximately $12 million, with the city contributing $4 million and the remaining funding provided by federal sources.

The bridge, which spans the DuPage River between Chicago and Aurora avenues, is a main thoroughfare and entrance to the downtown district. It typically sees about 30,000 cars a day.

Officials say all lanes of the bridge officially reopened on June 30.

“This is a vital connection in our transportation network,” said Jennifer Louden, the city’s transportation, engineering and development director. “From the city’s perspective, it’s really important that this project is complete and all lanes are open.”

The reopening of the bridge was delayed by nine months due to construction and weather-related issues. When work first started, the bridge was expected to open in the fall of 2024.

Wehrli thanked downtown businesses for their “enduring fortitude” throughout the project and downtown visitors and shoppers for continued support.

“I know it caused delays,” Wehrli said of the construction project. “It disrupted routines, and it created real challenges for our downtown businesses, our residents and our visitors.”

But, he said, the reopening of the bridge presented new opportunities.

“Now it’s time to turn the page,” Wehrli said. “This new bridge; it’s more than an improvement, it’s an investment in our future …it’s not just built to last. It’s built to serve a growing, thriving neighborhood.”

The new bridge features wider sidewalks and improved lighting. The portion of the Riverwalk that runs under the bridge was also elevated to help minimize flooding of the trail when the river level rises.

Additionally, completion of the project removes truck weight restrictions.

In October 2022, the city placed an 8-ton weight limit on the bridge and restricted traffic to one lane in each direction following a bridge inspection. In 2016, a 15-ton weight limit was put in place, and monthly inspections on the bridge started in 2019.

Wehrli Friday also highlighted the 50th anniversary of JC Licht on Washington Street and the 30th anniversary of Naperville Trolley & Tours.