Congress bridge project delayed 6 months

Delays with the fabrication and delivery of materials for the Congress Parkway Bridge over the Chicago River downtown has resulted in the reconstruction project being put six months behind schedule.

The Illinois Department of Transportation made the announcement Friday. The first phase of reconstruction was expected to be complete by the start of this month. But now officials don’t expect the work to be done on the inbound section of the bridge until September.

IDOT officials said the delays were caused by the initial discovery of “unlevel floor beams” on the bridge that resulted in a major overhaul of the design plan while construction was already under way.

In the meantime, the current road configuration of two inbound lanes and one outbound lane will remain in place. The inbound Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressway ramps to Congress will also remain closed.

For more information on the project, visit dot.state.il.us/congresspkwy/index.html.

The estimated completion date for the bridge project is summer 2012, IDOT officials said.