Grabowski: project can be done without completely closing street
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
According to City Manager Jim Grabowski, the bridge over Salt Creek on St. Charles Road just west of Rte. 83 is to be repaired in the next 60 days and rebuilt within the next two years.
“At the last meeting, I shared some news regarding some restrictions that were going to be there [on the bridge] but, later that week, we met with the Villa Park Village Manager and their Public Works department and there’s some good news. There’s a temporary fix that was approved by their village board that will be installed in the next 60 days. That will get the lane configuration back to what it is today.
“It will still have the weight restrictions until the full bridge is replaced, but it’s good news in terms of traffic flow through Elmhurst and Villa Park.”
Grabowski said the imposition on drivers traveling through the two municipalities would not be as disruptive as first believed.
“The lane configuration will not be as drastic as we originally thought,” he said. “At first we thought they were going to completely close the lanes, but instead they are going to shift the lanes to the south, so there will still be two lanes in each direction. It will shorten up the turn lane for northbound Rte. 83, if you are traveling eastbound on St. Charles, but considering all facts, it’s the best configuration for these 60 days until this temporary fix can be put in place.”
The long term replacement plan for the bridge is expected to take two years, Grabowski said.
“They already have 80% of the funds available, 80% of the $4 million needed, through a bridge replacement grant. They are working on the rest and we have committed that we will be contacting our state and federal officials as well to help speed that project along.”
