No Party With Pritzker For Jefferson St. Bridge Reopening: Ferak

JOLIET, IL — On President's Day, I was hoping to see a giant motorcade of our state and county's most powerful politicians, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, rolling into Joliet's downtown, waving to thousands of cheering voters near Frannie's Fountain at Bicentennial Park.

It just wasn't meant to be.

Still, Monday was a jubilant day that Joliet residents will remember for years. It was the day the Jefferson Street Bridge — closed since June 1, 2020 — reopened to traffic.

I drove across the Jefferson Street Bridge late Monday morning, and I'm pleased to report that the Jefferson Street Bridge is working just perfectly. My car did not splash into the dirty and frigid canal waters of the Des Plaines River below.

Given the importance of the Jefferson Street Bridge to Joliet's City Center, Harrah's Casino and other downtown businesses, I was surprised that our governor, plus our Illinois Department of Transportation bureaucrats and our Joliet area state lawmakers, did not take advantage of the golden opportunity to celebrate this historic milestone for Joliet, the seat for Will County.

Think about it, the 1932-era Jefferson Street Bridge:

• Closed for seven entire months in 2020.
• Closed for another 365 days in 2021.
• Closed for another 51 days in 2022.

And now, Joliet's most useful drawbridge has been put back together again.

Hurray. Hurray. Hurray.

Unfortunately, Monday morning's Jefferson Street Bridge reopening did not turn into a day-long celebration for Joliet residents.

That's because the Illinois Department of Transportation immediately erected "BRIDGE CLOSED" signs on both sides of the Jackson Street Bridge.

"Shortly after the reopening of Jefferson Street, the Jackson Street bridge will close, with an anticipated reopening in late April," IDOT announced last week. "The closure is necessary for the installation of new aerial cables and control system, along with various tender house upgrades. The work is part of an ongoing project to upgrade the downtown movable bridges that will allow them to be controlled from a central location, creating a more efficient system of lifting and lowering the bridges and increasing safety for pedestrians, motorists and marine traffic."

For decades, our civic leaders have embraced the motto that Joliet is "The City of Champions." But, I think the current times call for a new, updated city motto more indicative of Joliet.

That's why I am proposing Joliet change its motto to "The City of Setbacks."

After all, it was exactly one year and nine months ago when I received the following news release from the Illinois Department of Transportation, on May 21, 2020:

"The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that the Jefferson Street bridge over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, will close, weather permitting, Monday, June 1. The closure is necessary to replace mechanical components on the movable bridge .... The work is expected to be completed in August."

Now, almost two years later, our sturdy, mighty and magnificent Jefferson Street Bridge, our green mechanical monster, is back in action.

And get this, for the first time ever, Joliet area residents heading into downtown over the Jefferson Street Bridge can now drive past not one but two Will County Courthouses.

First up, motorists will get to pass our beautiful taxpayer-funded $225 million, 10-story Will County Courthouse. The new Will County Courthouse drew dozens of Will County area elected officials to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony in October 2020, just weeks before the November 2020 general election.

Over at the North Ottawa Street corner, Jefferson Street motorists now get to drive past our ugly and dilapidated 1969-era Will County Courthouse.

The four-story courthouse has remained closed the past 16 months as the Will County Board and first-term Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant have been unable to execute a plan to tear it down or repurpose it, and they probably won't anytime soon because that's Will County politics for you.

It's a shame that Joliet didn't get to have a huge party on President's Day for the reopening of our Jefferson Street Bridge with our governor in attendance.

But then again, Pritzker has to know that the Illinois Department of Transportation moved at the speed of molasses when it came to getting our Jefferson Street Bridge fixed, and Will County's politicians have two county courthouses, one being used and one they can't decide what to do with.

Perhaps Pritzker wasn't so foolish for passing up the opportunity to hold a news conference about the Jefferson Street Bridge in the City of Champions, make that, the City of Setbacks.

Jan. 12 John Ferak Column: If Bridge Ever Opens, Here's Why Joliet Must Throw Parade