Fox River pedestrian bridge in Elgin closing
Bikers and hikers planning to hit the trail over the Fox River in Elgin will need a boat for the foreseeable future.
The pedestrian and bicycle bridge under the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) Fox River bridge is closing this month for two years while the toll road is rebuilt and widened.
The tollway is replacing the existing I-90 bridge with an expanded one that provides four lanes in each direction instead of three.
Tollway officials could not say exactly when in June the pedestrian bridge will close. The pedestrian bridge is part of the Fox River Trail, which stretches from Aurora to Algonquin.
There are no detours or alternate routes available. The pedestrian bridge will be under construction through 2016. The new version will be about 12 feet wide compared to the current 9 feet.
The four sections of the pedestrian bridge will be removed and given to the Forest Preserve District of Kane County for other projects.
Work on the I-90 tollway bridge also starts this month. Initial plans indicate work would start on the eastbound side of the road, then shift to the westbound side.
Traffic will be moved accordingly while the new I-90 bridge goes up and the old one is demolished.
In addition to the four lanes, the agency will build full shoulders.
The work is part of a $2.5 billion project to reconstruct the Jane Addams.