Brandon Road bridge repairs will continue until at least the summer, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

The bridge in Joliet Township has been closed since September 2023 and estimated reopening times already have been pushed back twice.

It is one of six drawbridges over the Des Plaines River in the Joliet area. The others are in downtown Joliet.

IDOT in announcing the delayed reopening of the Brandon Road bridge noted it is 93 years old.

“The moveable bridges in Joliet are nearly a century old, with unique parts and maintenance needs,” IDOT Region 1 Engineer Jose Rios said in a new release. “We appreciate your continued patience as we deliver this project as safe and efficiently as possible.”

The bridge was initially closed to refurbish the motors and mechanical components, according to the release.

“While construction was underway, the need for unforeseen additional repairs were discovered, including the replacement of all four motors and aerial cables that require custom-made fabrication,” the release stated. ​

The $3.4 million project includes repairing the deck, joints and brakes, as well as replacing mechanical components, locks and structural steel. The bridge also is being upgraded for future remote control when tenders who operate the Joliet bridges are moved to a central location.

The project initially was to be completed in late 2024, and estimated completion was later pushed back to late summer 2025 before the latest delay.

The Brandon Road bridge has been the most troublesome of the drawbridges in the Joliet area. It has been shut down repeatedly since late 2016, mostly for problems with the center-lock mechanism that connects and disconnects the two ends of the bridge when it is raised and lowered.

The Cass Street bridge in downtown Joliet also is shut down for repairs, which are scheduled for completion in late 2026.

The Joliet-area drawbridges were built in the 1930s.

Because of their age, new parts typically must be custom-made, a process that contributes to delays in reopening when new problems are discovered once repairs are underway.

State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet was quoted in the news release saying “significant progress has already been made” on the Brandon Road bridge project.

“When the bridge reopens, it will be complete with much-needed repairs and modernizations, and these updates are essential for the safety and efficiency of all traffic moving through the area,” Ventura said.