River Road Bridge Could Open This Summer

The city of Yorkville is awaiting a detailed construction schedule.

Setbacks Announced for River Road Bridge Replacement

The bridge that sits on River Road west of Route 47 likely won't be open this year, city officials said.

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…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Becky

3:27 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012

I'm convinced this bridge is never going to re-open. :-( It's such a pain being closed. But I suppose that will just make me appreciate all the more when it is finally open.   more ›

Police: No More Pedestrians on River Road Bridge

The bridge over Blackberry Creek is deteriorating faster than expected.

Yorkville police don't want people walking, bicycling, fishing or doing anything else on the River Road bridge until it is removed next month. "Recent inspections of the River Road Bridge over Blackberry Creek show there is a possibility of a collapse, as the structure is deteriorating more rapidly than anticipated," a news release issued Tuesday states. The bridge was closed to vehicles last May after officials noticed a gap in the western abutment was growing. Utility work, erosion control and other efforts will start there later this month, with the bridge and attached dam being removed mid-June. The new bridge is expected to be open to the public in October. The bridge sits along River Road west of Route 47 just north of the Fox River.

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

River Road Bridge Could Open in October

City leaders met to discuss the construction project last week.

Last May, the River Road bridge was closed down after a growing gap was spotted in the west abutment. Now, a year later, the bridge that goes over Blackberry Creek will undergo construction to make it once more available to motorists later in the year. “A preconstruction meeting was held this week.  I am pleased with the project's progress and the tentative construction schedule,” said Yorkville Mayor Gary Golinski. City Administrator Bart Olson said the project will begin at the end of May with utility work, erosion control and other minor measures. “The demolition of the bridge will take place in mid-June,” Olson said, with the actual reconstruction beginning at the end of July. And as for the dam that shares the bridge's deteriorating …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)