DuPage County will be conducting much needed construction work on the Highland Ave. bridges over Butterfield Rd. and I-88. A a full closure began Wednesday, July 6. The bridge will be closed until early September.
The bridge repairs consist of partial depth deck repairs, crack repairs and joint repairs.
ROUTE CLOSURE UPDATES:
• Westbound I-88 traffic exiting at Highland Ave.: Southbound Highland Ave will remain open. Those traveling north shall follow the detour route.• Eastbound I-88 traffic exiting at Highland Ave.: Southbound Highland Ave will remain open. Those traveling north shall follow the detour route.
• Westbound Illinois 56/Butterfield Rd. exiting at Highland Ave.: Northbound Highland Ave will remain open. Those traveling south shall follow the detour route.• Eastbound Illinois 56/Butterfield Rd. exiting at Highland Ave.: Southbound Highland Ave will remain open. Those traveling north shall follow the detour route.
• Northbound through traffic on Highland Ave.- please follow posted detour route• Southbound through traffic on Highland Ave.- please follow posted detour route
Below is information from the DuPage County Division of Transportation
Project Need: The Highland Avenue bridge over Route 56 was built in 1987. DuPage County is responsiblefor the bridge deck and the State of Illinois is responsible for the bridge elements beneath the deck. Since its original construction nearly 30 years ago, no major repairs have been undertaken to the bridge deck. The bridge joints have deteriorated beyond repair and need to be replaced. In addition, inspection of both the bridge decks revealed the need for concrete patching in order to address deficiencies and extend the service life of the bridge’s riding surface.
Project Stages: The project is expected to be completed in two stages: During Stage 1, outside lanes of the bridge decks and concrete pavement between the bridges will be patched. This work will require temporary lane closures. Stage 1 is expected to last three to four weeks. During Stage 2, Highland Avenue over Route 56 will be temporarily closed so the bridge joints can be removed and replaced and the remainder of the bridge decks and concrete pavement will be patched. Highland Avenue will also be resurfaced from south of Interstate 88 to 31st Street. Stage 2 is expected to be completed in six weeks.
Maintenance of Traffic: During development of the project, DuPage County discussed the best way to manage traffic with the Villages of Lombard and Downers Grove, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway. Keeping the bridge open would require complicated staging of work that would lengthen the project timeline and create challenges for the motorists. The consensus of all parties was to temporarily close the Highland Avenue bridge over Route 56 to limit the duration of the project and minimize disruptions to traffic. The contractor will be able to remove and replace the bridge joints in the safest and shortest time possible. During the bridge closure, traffic on Highland Avenue will be detoured via 31st Street, Meyers Road, and Route 56 or 22nd Street. A detour map is available on the back of this document.
The project also includes roadway resurfacing of Highland Avenue from about 750 feet south of 31ST Street to the south expansion joint of the I-88 bridge, and pedestrian crossing repairs.
Estimated Construction Timeline: May 2016: Contract award and execution
June 2016: Construction begins- Stage 1: Patching to be completed in three to four weeks
- Stage 2: Bridge repair, closure and pavement resurfacing to be completed in six weeksSept. 5, 2016: Estimated project completion
View Maps
Highland Ave. Detour Routes General
Highland Ave. Detour Routes - Including I-88
Highland Ave. Repair Locations
Aerial View of Project Location