Traffic delays will soon begin for motorists on the U.S. 67 Bridge over the Illinois River at Beardstown. The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that repairs on the bridge will begin on Monday, May 23.
For the first two weeks of the project, traffic will be reduced to one lane during daytime hours and flaggers will be present for traffic control. Beginning Monday, June 6th, traffic will be restricted to one lane with temporary traffic signals and a 15-foot width restriction.
IDOT Spokesperson Paul Wappel says some extensive repairs will be made during the project. “The Beardstown carrying U.S. 67 over the Illinois River is a steel truss bridge. It’s sixty-seven years old and it’s experienced some deterioration of steel structure elements so those need to be repaired.
The repairs are going to consist of installing new steel members and strengthening plates in the floor system of the bridge. And of course, to do that work, special access equipment and temporary stringer support systems will have to be used while the steel repairs are ongoing.
There’s going to be a lot of equipment, materials, and personnel on the bridge deck while the work is being performed which is why we need to restrict the bridge to one lane of traffic. Once repairs are all complete, the bridge will be returned to full operation with two lanes of traffic.”
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through the area, and are asked to avoid the work area, when feasible, and the use of alternate routes should be considered.
Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.
Work to the U.S. 67 bridge at Beardstown is expected to be completed by mid-June.