Elgin Township bridge to reopen by end of July
The bridge on Coombs Road in Elgin Township is expected to reopen by the end of next month, Highway Commissioner Rodney A. Seyller said.
The bridge, which spans the Canadian Pacific Railroad north of Highland Avenue, was closed in April after it was deemed unsafe due to age-related structural damage. The repairs, which cost about $56,000, will allow the bridge to reopen in both directions with weight restrictions, Seyller said.
Seyller said he signed a contract with a construction company stating the work will be done by July 29. The work, which will beef up support for the problem section, is expected to start by July 18, he said.
"We wanted to have done what's repairable to get it back open again, because a lot of people are inconvenienced," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. I receive calls all the time."
Mary Pat Berens, who lives in the Wildwood West subdivision just north of the bridge, said the closure meant she and her husband had to make a big detour, adding 15 minutes to any trip.
"People were getting very upset," she said. "It's good news that they are OK'ing it to open. But why did it take so long?"
Mike Zakosek, chief of design for the Kane County Division of Transportation, said the county first commissioned a consultant to develop repair plans, and then put out the project for bids. The current repairs are being funded by the township.
Meanwhile, an engineering study is being commissioned to determine whether the bridge will need long-term structural work, at an estimated cost of $1.2 million, or full replacement, which will cost even more, Seyller said. The cost would be covered by 80 percent in federal funds.
Pingree Grove & Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Mitch Crocetti said in April he was concerned about response times to calls from any of the 700 or so district residents who live north of the bridge, including the Wildwood and Wildwood West subdivisions.
"We've had three calls with a response time between eight to 12 minutes, instead of two minutes," he said, adding that didn't cause serious consequences for patients.