The state could begin remote operation of three Joliet drawbridges this spring, but motorists likely will be more affected by what bridges are up and which ones are down this year.

As of last week, the state planned to have two of the six drawbridges out of service during 2026, while the Ruby Street bridge is scheduled to be shut down again for maintenance in early 2027.

Those plans were thrown for a loop, however, this week when the Ruby Street bridge had to be shut down for emergency repairs.

The Illinois Department of Transportation on Monday did not have a timeline for when the Ruby Street bridge will return to service.

As of Monday, three of the six bridges carrying Joliet traffic over the Des Plaines River were shut down for repairs.

As for the shift to remote operation, Maria Castaneda, spokeswoman for the IDOT, said in an email, “We expect this transition to be completely seamless for the public.”

Bridge tenders will remain at each bridge “to handle any issues,” Castaneda said.

Only three of the six drawbridges will convert to remote operation initially: Jackson Street, Jefferson Street and McDonough Street.

Cass Street and Brandon Road bridges will remain closed for repairs for months. And, the Ruby Street bridge will get final outfitting for remote operations when it is shut down again in early 2027.

All six bridges carry traffic over the Des Plaines River. Four are in downtown Joliet. The McDonough Street bridge is just south of downtown. The Brandon Road bridge is in Joliet Township outside of the city limits.

Here is the IDOT plan for the Joliet bridges for 2026.

Cass Street bridge

The $22.8 million project, which started in late September 2025, will continue until late 2026 with IDOT only saying the bridge will reopen by the end of the year.

The work includes structural steel replacement, deck repairs, electrical upgrades, improved sidewalks and more.

When the job is done, a weight limit that has been placed on the bridge for years, will be lifted, according to IDOT.

The bridge was completely shut down in September. Before that, it had been reduced to one lane since August 2024.

Brandon Road bridge

The Brandon Road bridge has been shut down since September 2023 and will remain closed for much if not most of 2026.

IDOT has said the repairs will continue until at least summer.

Before the latest repair project, the bridge had been repeatedly shut down for repairs since 2016.

IDOT is trying to get all of the kinks out of the bridge this time around.

“Our goal is to address any problems while we have an active contract to avoid unplanned closures in the future,” Castaneda said. “While failures of these structures and systems can be very frustrating and difficult to predict, we anticipate that this work will make the bridge operation more reliable.

All four motors and aerial cables have been replaced, and all those parts had to be custom-made, Castaneda said. Structural steel, mechanical components and locks are being replaced. The deck, joints and bridge brakes are being repaired.

The bridge also is being equipped for remote operations.

Ruby Street bridge

The Ruby Street bridge was closed for two months in 2025 before it was closed again this week for problems not yet identified by IDOT.

The bridge already was scheduled to be closed in early 2027 for more repairs and final outfitting before the conversion of the bridges to remote control operation.

The bridge in early 2027 was to be closed “for mechanical repairs that were beyond the scope of the previous closure and for installation of the remote operation system,” Castaneda said of the planned early 2027 closing.

IDOT as of Monday afternoon had not identified the latest problems with the Ruby Street bridge that led to its closing this week.

Jefferson, Jackson and McDonough

The bridges at Jefferson, Jackson and McDonough streets all have been shut down in recent years for installation of the remote control equipment and apparently are ready to go.

No closures are planned for any of the three bridges in 2026.

The bridges at Cass Street, Ruby Street and Brandon Road will be converted to remote operation after repairs are completed.