Cass Street Bridge Now Closed, But Not Forever, Just A Very Long Time

JOLIET, IL — We all knew it was coming and on Friday morning, the crews at the Illinois Department of Transportation got to work, erecting barricades for street closures in front of downtown Joliet's Harrah's Casino. Now, Joliet's Cass Street Bridge is closed for at least a year and possibly longer. At a recent City Council meeting, city officials indicated that Cass Street Bridge will be out of service until late 2026 or possibly the spring of 2027 for repairs.

On a bright note, if there is a bright note, the Ruby Street Bridge came back into service on Wednesday after being closed for repairs during recent months. But having the Cass Street Bridge closed is worse for Joliet's motorists.

It's a one-way bridge, the main way to get from the east side of Joliet to the west side. And now it's out. For an entire year. And maybe even longer than that.