If Bridge Ever Opens, Here's Why Joliet Must Throw Parade: Ferak

JOLIET, IL — Every time I publish a story about the lack of progress at fixing the Jefferson Street Bridge, people come out of the woodwork on social media. They blast the mayor of Joliet, city manager Jim Capparelli and the Joliet City Council for their lack of ability to get the bridge repaired.

Yet, Joliet residents often forget, the bridge has nothing to do with the city of Joliet. Nothing.

The bridge is the property of the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Joliet's drawbridges were all built around 1930. The Jefferson Street Bridge was built in 1932.

I think the main reason why IDOT has chosen not to build Joliet a bunch of new bridges is because IDOT officials want Joliet residents to remain miserable and unhappy all day long.

Many residents have a low amount of hometown pride in Joliet, and I think a major contribution is because our bridges are always up in the air, causing traffic snarls, making people angry.

Let's face it, how many years have been taken from us for having to shift our cars or trucks into park to wait for a slow, slow, slow moving massive barge or tugboat to work its way up or down the Des Plaines River?

Can you believe we are now in our third calendar year that Joliet's Jefferson Street Bridge has been broken and unavailable for use?

July 17, 2020: Jefferson Street Bridge Not Re-Opening In 2020

Nov. 9, 2020: Jefferson Street Bridge Out: Repair Update Isn't Good

March 16, 2021: Broken Jefferson Street Bridge Won't Open For 7 More Months

Oct. 4, 2021: Will Jefferson Street Bridge Reopen In October As Planned?

In early December, three high-level engineers from the Illinois Department of Transportation told the Joliet City Council that they should expect to have the Jefferson Street Bridge in operation "by the end of the first week or second week in January."

The most recent problem involved trying to get all the new mechanical parts to line up properly and function together, city officials were told.

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for IDOT told me the Jefferson Street Bridge repairs won't be done this week as envisioned.

Now, the new earliest target for completion is the middle of February, she said.

On a positive note, I saw several people working on the Jefferson Street Bridge Wednesday, Jan. 12.

In the event the Jefferson Street Bridge manages to reopen, let's say by the year 2025, I propose the city capitalizes on this great fortune, just as Joliet did with Star Wars Day.

Besides, Joliet needs a new community celebration, and I suggest we start a new one to honor Joliet's legacy: the downtown drawbridges.

We could host Joliet Bridge Day at the nearby Bicentennial Park.

As part of the celebration, the city of Joliet could allocate $10 million in taxpayer funds to make small replica bridges to give away as souvenirs to the first 30,000 visitors of Joliet Bridge Day.

And every year, the souvenir bridge would be different. That way, Joliet residents could collect all the downtown bridges: McDonough, Jefferson, Cass, Jackson and Ruby Street. There would be a special replica of the I-80 bridge, and that one would have a giant crack in its foundation to symbolize its dangerousness.

Joliet Bridge Day would begin with the Joliet American Legion Band starting the parade route at the corner of Jefferson and Hickory Streets and proceeding over the Jefferson Street Bridge to end at the Joliet City Hall.

Following the band would be the Illinois Department of Transportation to show off some of their fancy equipment and cranes used to fix the bridge.

IDOT officials could smile and wave at the cheering crowd, celebrating all of their months and months of time they spent to get our Jefferson Street Bridge working again.

Walking behind the IDOT bureaucrats, ending this glorious community celebration, would be our Joliet area state senators and state representatives.

But, instead of handing out campaign literature for re-election, they would be distributing fortune cookies, revealing a date in the not-too-distant future when the Jefferson Street Bridge would break down once again.

Joliet Bridge Day would feature a famous musician, someone whose music is tied to the lore and legend of shipyards and freighters. For the first year, I propose Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot, who's best known for his folk ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

Joliet Bridge Day would include a fishing contest along the canal walls of the Des Plaines River. There could be Jet Ski and speedboat races between the Jefferson Street Bridge to the Cass Street Bridge and back.

There could be a swimming contest sponsored by Harrah's Casino.

Participants would swim from the canal walls near Harrah's, and the winner would be crowned a champion at the Bicentennial Park.

One race would feature the citizens. The second swim would feature our local state senators and state representatives, such as Larry Walsh Jr., John Connor, Natalie Manley, Meg Loughran-Cappel and Mark Batinick.

After all, our Joliet area senators and legislators deserve to be singled out for their role in helping speed along the progress at getting our Jefferson Street Bridge fixed so fast.