Countdown clock starts ticking for old Route 178 bridge demolition

The old Route 178 bridge’s days are numbered, and that number is two.

A planned implosion of the remaining truss spans of the retired bridge over the Illinois River in Utica is planned Wednesday, March 17, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced in a Monday news release. Demolition and cleanup efforts are anticipated to take several hours to complete.

Local authorities and IDOT will enforce a perimeter for pedestrian, vehicle and river traffic beginning at 7:30 a.m. to ensure public safety during the demolition.

Closures are planned from between the intersection of Route 178 and Route 71 northward to Utica Village Hall. Dee Bennet Road and North 27th Road also will be closed at Route 178. A portion of Starved Rock State Park, including the boat ramp and other impacted properties, will be evacuated temporarily.

Route 178 will reopen later in the day, but the river channel will be impassable for 24 hours. The boat ramp at Starved Rock State Park will continue to be closed while work is conducted in the river channel.

Travelers through the Utica area should plan to use alternate routes Wednesday. A detour will not be posted.

In the event of inclement weather, the implosion will be rescheduled. An alternative date has not been set. Wednesday’s forecast is cloudy with a high temperature of 52 degrees.

The new $27.4 million Route 178 bridge opened in October. The project is nearing completion, with lighting, landscaping and embankment work remaining.