Aging Bridge is Replaced

The new Manchester Road-Wesley Street bridge opened to traffic Friday, ending a  major construction project in downtown Wheaton. Motorists now can drive over the Union Pacific railroad tracks, thanks to a project that replaced an aging bridge, improved traffic pattern and built a number of aesthetic enhancements.

Crews began working in November 2009 on this large-scale project, which involved demolishing the existing roadway bridge, demolishing and replacing the retaining wall along Manchester Road and reconstructing the approach roads leading to and from the bridge. The project also involved reconstructing the Illinois Prairie Path pedestrian bridge. 

Drivers familiar with the bridge will notice the addition of a stoplight where Manchester Road, Bridge Street and Wesley Street intersect. A change in the traffic pattern means drivers on the bridge will now be allowed to turn left onto Bridge Street, a turn that previously was prohibited because of structural deficiencies in the old bridge. The new bridge no longer has weight restrictions, meaning emergency vehicles, school buses and trucks can safely get across the tracks using the bridge. 

"The project replaces a structure designed and built for a century in our past,” said Senior Project Engineer Sarang Lagvankar, in a news release. “The new bridge brings benefits and enhancements forward to the 21st century. Not only will trucks and emergency vehicles be able to use the bridge, but so will other motorists wishing to conveniently travel between the north and south sides of our downtown.”

The $12 million project was funded in large part by federal and state agencies, DuPage County and Union Pacific Railroad. The city paid $1 million.

“The city greatly appreciates the patience and cooperation of the residents and business owners who have been inconvenienced the past two years during construction of this major public improvement project,” said Wheaton Director of Engineering Paul Redman, in a prepared statement. “We hope that they will now enjoy the many decades of use the bridge will provide them and others into the future.”