SCHAUMBURG – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the temporary daytime closure of the McDonough Street Bridge in Joliet from Monday, March 1 through Wednesday March 3. Weather permitting, the bridge is scheduled to be closed from 7 AM to 3:30 PM each day. The bridge will be closed to allow contractors to perform testing on the bridge in advance of work scheduled to begin April 1, 2004.

Motorists are advised that detours will be posted during these daytime closures. Eastbound US 52 will detour west of the bridge closure to US 30 (Jefferson Street), and south on IL 53 (Chicago Street) back to McDonough Street. Westbound US 52 will detour south on IL 53 to I-80, west on I-80 to IL 7 (Larkin Avenue), and then northbound to reconnect with US 6.

Traffic on US 6 will detour to I-80. Eastbound travelers on US 6 will follow I-80 east to IL 53 (Chicago Street), then travel north on IL 53 to US 6. Westbound traffic will detour on I-80 west to IL 7 (Larkin Avenue), then follow IL 7 north to US 6.

The McDonough Street Bridge project involves rehabilitation of the movable bridge including: replacement of the bridge's steel decks, approach pavement, mechanical components, electrical system, and the installation of a new pier cell protection system. The $6.1 million project is scheduled for completion by December 1, 2004. The contractor is Illinois Constructors Corp., of Batavia.