I-80 Bridge Work To Create 'Major Delays' Around Joliet: IDOT

JOLIET, IL — Repair work and deck patching being done on two Interstate 80 bridges in Joliet will create major delays for motorists beginning on Friday night and extending through the weekend, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday.

Lane closures will begin on eastbound I-80 between Wheeler Avenue and Richards Street beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, IDOT officials said. The ramp from Chicago Street to eastbound I-80 also will be closed. This is the final of two extended weekends during which repairs have created delays for local drivers.

During that time, motorists are being asked to follow the posted detour to access the expressway. At least one eastbound I-80 lane will remain open at all times and westbound I-80 will not be impacted, IDOT said in a news release.

Eastbound I-80 motorists traveling through the region should consider alternative routes to avoid the area. Local streets are unable to accommodate heavy or wide trucks, so other interstate routes are encouraged. The work is all weather-permitting and lanes are scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.

The westbound I-80 ramp to Richards Street is closed for reconstruction, with an anticipated reopening in late summer 2024. Motorists should follow the posted detour.

The overall I-80 project will redesign and rebuild 16 miles from Ridge Road, in Minooka, to U.S. 30, in Joliet and New Lenox, while adding or extending auxiliary lanes to improve safety and reduce congestion, IDOT said in the release.

Interchanges will be rebuilt or improved at Interstate 55, Illinois 7, Center Street, Chicago Street, Richards Street, and Briggs Street, with a new flyover ramp linking southbound I-55 to eastbound I-80 to improve traffic flow and safety. More than 30 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced, including those over the Des Plaines River as part of the project.

The projected $1.3 billion project is anticipated to be substantially complete by the end of 2028, with miscellaneous work and bridge demolition extending into 2029.