Bridge replacement in Elgin to close portion of Coombs Road for 4 months

The replacement of a 160-foot-long bridge on Elgin's west side could soon cause some drivers miles of detours.

Work is scheduled to begin Tuesday on replacing the bridge on Coombs Road just north of Highland Avenue. The resulting road closure to through traffic is expected to last until Nov. 4.

Elgin Township Highway Commissioner Jason Krabbe said the project will be "a complete superstructure rebuild."

The bridge, which goes over the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad line, experienced an emergency closure for several months in 2016 when it was deemed unsafe by Kane County Division of Transportation engineers. Repairs were made, but a reconstruction always was planned, Krabbe said.

"Bridges and roadways need to be rebuilt," Krabbe said while acknowledging the inconvenience to local residents. "We need to make sure safety is our number one priority."

The existing superstructure of the 39-year-old bridge will be removed and replaced while the substructure will be reused in place.

Coombs Road will be closed to through traffic from Highland Avenue north to Big Timber Road. Residents will still be able to enter via the Big Timber intersection.

The subdivisions north of the bridge up to Big Timber Road normally are served by nearby Pingree Grove & Countryside Fire Protection District Station Four. Fire Chief Kieran Stout said the district will route those calls to Station Three, located at 1600 Reinking Road, during the construction project.

"It will add a little bit extra to the response time, but nothing catastrophic," he said.

Stout said they also have an extended agreement with the Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District if help is needed.

The project will cost roughly $2.3 million and will be paid for with federal, state and local funding.