Concrete barriers tumble off Route 53 bridge onto Palatine Road below

State authorities are investigating what caused concrete barriers to fall off a bridge along Route 53 in Palatine Sunday afternoon and plummet onto a busy road below.

No injuries were reported as a result, but Palatine Road was shut down for about six hours as crews removed the obstruction, officials said.

Palatine Deputy Police Chief David Brandwein said officers were dispatched to the scene at about 5:34 p.m. Sunday after receiving multiple reports of concrete barriers that had fallen from Route 53 and were blocking both directions of Palatine Road.

“Fortunately, we are not aware of any injuries associated with the incident,” Brandwein said.

The Arlington Heights Police Department and Illinois State Police also responded to the scene, he added.

The barriers were in place as part of an Illinois Department of Transportation-led reconstruction of Route 53 from Lake-Cook Road to Route 62/Algonquin Road in the Northwest suburbs. The nearly $200 million project, which includes rehabbing bridges over Palatine Road, Kirchoff Road, Industrial Avenue, Northwest Highway and Anderson Drive, is expected to be largely complete by the end of the year.

“Public safety is always our No. 1 priority,” IDOT spokeswoman Maria Castaneda wrote in an emailed response to an inquiry Monday.

“Following notification of the incident, IDOT conducted an initial inspection of the Illinois 53 bridge and the work zone over Palatine Road,” she continued. “The bridge is structurally sound and safe, and the barrier wall has been restored. We are continuing to investigate the incident and will keep monitoring the area.”

ckeeshan@dailyherald.com