Brandon Road bridge in Joliet Township remains closed

The Illinois Department of Transportation is hopeful the latest Brandon Road bridge shutdown will be relatively short, but there is no reopening schedule yet.

The Joliet Township drawbridge over the Des Plaines River was closed for emergency repairs after a problem developed May 6.

IDOT initially said it was a mechanical breakdown. But a spokeswoman on Friday said it now appears that an electronic component failed, which could be a quicker fix.

“When it’s a mechanical problem, those parts are no longer manufactured, so they have to be fabricated,” spokeswoman Maria Castaneda said.

The local drawbridge, all of which are in downtown Joliet except the Brandon Road bridge, were built in the 1930s. Mechanical breakdowns have led to closures that lasted for months, with long waits for new parts to be fabricated.

The Brandon Road bridge has had repeated breakdowns related to the center lock mechanism that fastens and releases the two ends of the bridge as they go up and down.

Castaneda said the latest problem “is around the center lock. But it’s not appearing to be a mechanical component. It appears to be an electronic component. They’re hoping to have it repaired much sooner.”

Repair crews still need to verify the cause of the problem before knowing when the bridge may reopen, she said.

The bridge was closed for two weeks in December because of a problem with the center lock.