C-93-038-16: IL 178 over the Illinois River Bridge Structure Replacement, LaSalle County, Region Two/District Three

Illinois Construction & Environmental Consulting, Inc. served as Prime consultant on this $27.4 million bridge removal and replacement project. 

The old bridge was a steel cantilevered through truss bridge was built in 1962 and carried two lanes of traffic.  The new bridge consists of a 1,160’ long three span steel plate girder bridge constructed with beams ranging from ten to twelve foot high.  The bridge sub structure is supported by spread footings at the piers that are rock socketed with pile bent abutments supported on H-piles. 

The project included; modular joints, bicycle fencing, cofferdams, underwater rock excavation, underwater blasting and navigational lighting.  Roadway improvements included; embankment widening, raising the profile, HMA pavement, PCC pavement, HMA shared path, HMA surface removal and resurfacing, storm sewer, watermain, sanitary sewer, rock excavation, pavement mark and roadway lighting. 

This project was located between Donaldson Street in the Village of Utica and the Starved Rock State Park entrance in LaSalle County.  This bridge replacement will significantly improve the all important tourism for the Village as the constructed shared-use path will provide Utica with its first pedestrian route to Starved Rock enabling visitors and locals to walk or peddle to the park and back which will boost attraction for both residents and tourists.