Jefferson Street Bridge To Reopen & Another Bridge Set To Close

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that the Jefferson Street bridge in Joliet, will reopen, after the morning rush, Monday, Feb. 21. The bridge has been closed since June of 2020 and the reopening date was moved several times. Shortly after the reopening of Jefferson Street, the Jackson Street bridge will close, with an anticipated reopening in late April. The closure is for the installation of new aerial cables and a new control system. The work is part of an ongoing project to upgrade the downtown 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. In addition, the Cass Street bridge will return to one-way westbound traffic beginning, weather permitting, Saturday, Feb. 26.