Removal of an unused railroad bridge over Interstate 55 in Springfield is set to begin on Monday that will cause some travel delays.
According to the State Journal-Register, the unused railroad bridge that sits at Mile Post 94 between the Stevenson Drive and Sixth Street interchanges and is owned by City Water, Light and Power is set to come down starting Monday evening.
The project is expected to last about two months. Drivers should expect overnight lane closures from seven p.m. to six a.m., Sunday nights through Friday mornings. Beginning in March, full overnight interstate closures are also expected during those same hours. A posted detour will route traffic using Stevenson Drive and Sixth Street.
Transportation officials say the work is part of a larger plan to expand the I-55 and I-72 corridor around Springfield. Teresa Price, an engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Region Four office told the SJR that the goal of the interstate expansion is to improve safety and increase capacity along the corridor, and she urges drivers to slow down in work zones or use alternate routes.
The bridge removal is one of several projects tied to the state’s Rebuild Illinois program, which calls for major highway and bridge upgrades over the next six years, with more overpass replacements in the area currently scheduled to begin in 2027.
For updates on the project, follow @IDOTDistrict6 on X or view area construction details on the IDOT’s traveler information map at GettingAroundIllinois.com.