Setbacks Announced for River Road Bridge Replacement

Motorists probably won't be able to take River Road from west from Yorkville this calendar year, Yorkville officials announced Friday.

The bridge, which shared an abutment with the Blackberry Creek dam, was closed last year after officials noticed a crack in the abutment worsening. They had planned to remove the dam, replace the bridge and restore traffic by October.

That deadline won't be met due to delays moving electrical equipment, Yorkville City Administrator Bart Olson said in an e-mail. Crews will start utility relocation about 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19.

"They will be working only during third-shift for two weeks to relocate the utilities near the bridge," Olson wrote. "They have had major problems with relocation planning and will be working during third-shift because the lines that are adjacent to the bridge are main feeder lines for the entire Yorkville area.  Working on these lines during the day, when power usage is at its peak, would be dangerous to their employees and would risk large-scale outages."

But that means Olson is unsure when the new bridge will be finished.

"Our best estimate for bridge opening is early Summer 2013, but we are asking our contractor for an updated project schedule now that ComEd’s schedule has been finalized," Olson wrote.

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