Illinois Department of Transportation officials say bridge repairs will begin this Spring on the US 67 Beardstown bridge.
The Cass County Star Gazette reports a repair contract to complete deck patching, bridge joint repairs, and structural steel repairs was advertised for bid last month. . Once the contract is awarded and executed, work on the project should begin this spring and the project is expected to take eight to nine months to complete. Two-way traffic will be limited to one lane and will be controlled by traffic signals during construction. This project is needed to ensure the current structure remains open to traffic without load restrictions, until the new bridge is complete.
The new US 67 river bridge project is funded through the Rebuild Illinois capital program. The new bridge design was completed in 2023 and investigative subsurface coring at, or near, pier locations was completed as part of the design process. IDOT officials say land acquisition is currently ongoing, and coordination with the South Beardstown Drainage and Levee District to complete the new bridge’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit application.
IDOT officials say once work on the new bridge begins, it will take approximately two years to complete and move traffic off the existing bridge, and an additional year will be needed to demolish the existing bridge.