Joliet council gives green light to next phase of Houbolt Road bridge project

City approves $30 million contract with “D” Construction for road widening and interchange upgrade

Cars pass pass under the I-80 bridge at Houbolt Rd. on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Joliet, Ill. A bridge across the Des Plaines River is proposed at the intersection of Rt. 6 and Houbolt Road.

The Joliet City Council on Tuesday approved a nearly $30 million contract for construction that will give visibility to the Houbolt Road bridge project.

Construction of the bridge has been underway for months. But the bridge is being built across the Des Plaines River in an industrial area out of public view.

The $30 million contract approved Tuesday gives “D” Construction the green light to begin widening Houbolt/Hollywood Road from Route 6 to Interstate 80, where the interchange will be modernized into a diverging diamond design.

This section of Houbolt Road leading to the site of a future bridge to be built over the Des Plaines River will be widened to four lanes as part of the project expected to begin in the spring in Joliet.

Some preparation work may still be done this year, but construction is not likely to get going until the spring, Joliet Public Works Director Greg Ruddy said.

The state is funding all but about $2.5 million of the road widening and interchange project.

The city is paying for features of the project that Joliet wanted added, including traffic signals at the intersection of Hollywood and Mound roads. The intersection has attracted development proposals, including a recently approved plan to build a truck stop.

Plans for truck stops also are being made at Route 6, where the bridge will connect with Hollywood Road, which becomes Houbolt Road as it reaches the I-80 interchange. The Route 6 intersection also will be improved to accommodate the future truck traffic coming from the bridge.

The Houbolt Road bridge project is designed to alleviate truck congestion on local roads by providing a direct route between I-80 and CenterPoint Intermodal Center, which contains intermodal yards in Joliet and Elwood on the other side of the Des Plaines River.

One of the three support piers already built for the future Houbolt Road bridge in Joliet is seen on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

The bridge, estimated to cost about $150 million, will be a toll bridge. It is being built and funded through a private joint venture that includes CenterPoint Properties and United Bridge Partners.

Houbolt/Hollywood Road will be widened to five lanes including a bi-directional center lane.

“D” Construction was the lowest of five bidders on the Houbolt/Hollywood Road and interchange project. All but one of the bids came under the $32 million engineer’s estimate on the project costs.

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