Jackson Street bridge opening Aug. 1, but more bridge closures planned

The Jackson Street drawbridge in downtown Joliet will reopen Aug. 1, and the McDonough Street drawbridge then will be closed, the Illinois Department of Transportation said Monday.

IDOT added that the scheduled reopening is “weather permitting.” But the plan is to reopen the Jackson Street bridge after the morning rush-hour traffic Aug. 1 and then shut down the McDonough Street bridge for upgrades.

The McDonough bridge closing is expected to last about a week, IDOT said in a news release.

If the McDonough Street bridge opens as scheduled Aug. 8, the Cass Street bridge then will be closed for two months.

All closures are for the installation of aerial cables and other upgrades in a project that will put tenders for the Joliet drawbridges over the Des Plaines River at a central location rather than at the individual bridges. The system is planned to start later this year.

The central tender office will control the five drawbridges downtown and the Brandon Road bridge just outside city limits.

The upgrade projects have been thrown off schedule at times.

The Jackson Street bridge had been scheduled to reopen in mid-April.

Maintenance and repair jobs on the 1930s-era drawbridges frequently takes longer than scheduled when work crews discover new issues once work begins.

A detour for the McDonough Street will direct most traffic to the Cass Street bridge. There also will be a truck detour sending trucks to the Ruby Street bridge.