Citation

Am. City Cty. 1999; 114(11): 80-81.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Penton Media)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Motorists on 135th Street waiting to cross the Sanitary Canal via Romeoville, Illinois's historic swing bridge got a rude shock on the afternoon of September 18, 1990. That was the day the bridge, built in 1898 and determined to have serious structural deficiencies, opened to let water traffic through and never closed for automobile traffic. An engineering study was done to determine whether the bridge could be reopened. Ultimately, 135th Street was widened and a high level bridge constructed that ran over the Sanitary Canal; the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad tracks; and the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The existing bridges over the DesPlaines River were also widened and redecked, and bikepaths were built. The swing bridge was rehabilitated and relocated to the village's Centennial Trail, a biking and hiking facility. Wetlands were created around the bridge to provide a natural setting and to mitigate wetlands affected by the 135th Street project.