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The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that weather permitting, a routine bridge inspection on I-80 over the Des Plaines River in Joliet will begin Monday, March 10, 2014.

These inspections are required by the Federal Highway Administration to maintain public Safety. The inspections will require daily lane closures in the area located 1.7 miles east of IL-7 (Larkin Avenue). These closures will be set and removed on a daily basis.  In order to minimize impact to traffic, the closures are scheduled during off-peak travel times Monday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The bridge inspection work is scheduled to begin with the westbound direction and then switch to the eastbound bridge on Saturday, March 15.  A minimum of two lanes will remain open while the inspections are taking place.  The inspection work is anticipated to be completed by March 20, 2014.

Drivers are urged to pay close attention to the signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, be on the alert for workers and equipment, expect delays and be prepared to stop.

Extended restrictions are in place at the Lake Station Exit (Milepost 21) on the Indiana Toll Road.

Westbound traffic seeking to exit at MP 21 will be diverted to Exit 17, Gary East. At Gary East, patrons are to take I-65 south and re-connect with I-94. Exit 17 remains a free exit, just as Exit 21.

Construction on BHX-A and Str. 5262 are tentatively scheduled to begin in February 2014; notices will be sent at that time. The entire process is expected to be completed in April 2015.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has approved ITR Concession Company (ITRCC) design concepts to rebuild three aging ramp bridges within the footprint of the Lake Station interchange, where the Indiana Toll Road, the Borman Expressway and State Road 51 converge.

The complex dual interchange first opened to traffic in 1965. Construction will remove or replace the bridges’ steel beams, railings and crumbling concrete deck. Portions of the existing abutments and vertical piers will be replaced or rehabilitated based upon their condition. New concrete railings and wider bridge shoulders will provide improved safety.

The three bridges being replaced are:

    * Structure BHX-A: A bridge on the westbound entry ramp over the Indiana Toll Road
    * Structure BHX-B: A bridge on the westbound exit ramp over the Indiana Toll Road
    * Structure 5262: A bridge over the Borman Expressway for the road interconnecting to the Indiana Toll Road

The construction will require several months of temporary ramp closures but minimal impacts to the mainline of the Indiana Toll Road with travel lanes fully open during daylight hours.

ITRCC operates and collects tolls on the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road under a 75-year lease with the Indiana Finance Authority. The Indiana Toll Road Oversight Board meets quarterly to monitor the ITRCC’s compliance with strict operating standards in the lease agreement. 

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that weather permitting, a weekend closure on eastbound I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) for work on the Morgan Street Bridge will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, March 7, 2014.

In order to complete the work, the closure will be installed for lane 1 on eastbound I-290 between Racine and Peoria Street to provide for installation of drilled shafts and caissons for new pier construction of the Morgan Street Bridge.

The lane closure for this work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, March 7th and end at 5 a.m. Monday, March 10th 2014.  This work will be continuous and occur during daytime and nighttime hours.  On Monday, March 10, 2014, a traffic stage switch on westbound I-290 will occur for the Morgan Street construction work. Traffic will be shifted to the north from the south. This work is part of the on-going Circle Interchange Improvement Project.

Motorists can expect delays during times when the lane closures are in effect and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signing in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that postings to restrict the allowable gross vehicular weights will go into effect on the following roads in Henry County, effective February 1, 2014:  

As weather permits, the postings will be lifted in the vicinity of May 1, 2014.

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