Nearly a century old, Rand Road bridge in Des Plaines to be rebuilt

An estimated 25,500 cars traverse the Rand Road bridge over the Des Plaines River in that eponymous Northwest suburb every day — and the resulting wear on the nearly century-old structure is visible to anyone looking out the window as they drive.

Its white lane dividers are so faded, they’re hard to detect. Concrete has been eaten away by weather and automobile-related friction in many places, resulting in crumbling, bumpy patches all over the structure.

In one section over the water, an orange, plastic net covers a gap where a safety railing is supposed to be. Elsewhere, part of the road surface is patched with a metal plate.

It is, as Des Plaines Mayor Andrew Goczkowski put it, “desperately in need of repair.”

Fortunately, the Illinois Department of Transportation is scheduled to start a roughly $18 million replacement effort this month.

The bridge will be rebuilt and widened to accommodate a new path for pedestrians and bike riders. Additionally, railings will be added, LED light posts will be installed and nearby traffic signals will be replaced, among other improvements.

Even though the more-than-yearlong effort will cause traffic headaches, Goczkowski is excited about the project, the cost of which is being covered by state and federal funds.

“Replacing this bridge is important for the safety and the convenience of so many people,” he said.

A two-phase project

Built in 1928 and widened in 1982, the Rand Road bridge stands between Wilson Lane and Ballard Road on Des Plaines’ east side.

From bank to bank, the bridge stretches 214 feet across the river, IDOT spokesperson Maria Castaneda said. IDOT’s construction zone for this project will be wider, however — about one-third of a mile between Ballard Road and Elk Boulevard.

Like much of Rand Road, the bridge runs two lanes in each direction. The roadway won’t be shut down during construction; rather, traffic across the river will be limited to one lane each way.

The work will be done in two phases. According to IDOT, the first should begin around March 24, depending on the weather.

In the first phase, eastbound and westbound traffic will be shifted to the south side of the bridge. Drivers turning onto or exiting Rand Road at Ballard Road and Hawthorne Lane will find new lane configurations, too.

The second stage will start in the winter. Drivers will be shifted to the north side of the bridge at that time.

Traffic lanes will be narrower than usual during the work, and the speed limit will drop to 35 mph, officials said. Additionally, a temporary concrete barrier will separate traffic from the work zone.

But access to homes and businesses in the construction zone will be maintained, Des Plaines officials said.

Drivers should expect delays and be alert for workers and equipment. Transportation and city officials encourage people to find alternate routes around the construction zone until the work is completed in late 2027.

‘A smart investment’

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to repair or rebuild more than 8 million square feet of bridge deck on more than 800 bridges as part of the $33 billion Rebuild Illinois program.

This year’s projects include the rehabilitation of Route 53’s bridges over Kirchoff Road and Industrial Avenue in Rolling Meadows; Northwest Highway in Palatine; and Palatine Road in Arlington Heights. Ongoing repairs to the Euclid Avenue bridge over Route 53 in the Rolling Meadows area should conclude this summer, too, IDOT’s Castaneda said.

Even though it’s a state-run project, some of the funding for the Rand Road bridge reconstruction is coming from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that then-President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021. The legislation set aside more than $27 billion for bridge repairs nationwide, the largest investment in fixing bridges in the nation's history.

Illinois was expected to receive nearly $18 billion in transportation- and infrastructure-related funding through that engine.

The Rand Road bridge falls within Des Plaines’ 1st Ward, which is represented on the city council by Alderman Margaret Chlebek. Replacing the bridge “is a smart investment in safety and long-term infrastructure,” she said.

Chlebek also said the promised improvements will be worth the inconveniences drivers are about to experience.

“Improving traffic flow, adding pedestrian access and modernizing signals will benefit both drivers and residents in the long run,” she said.