Wheeler Avenue bridge over I-80 in Joliet set to reopen Friday

Another piece of the Interstate 80 reconstruction project in Will County is nearing completion.

The Wheeler Avenue bridge over Interstate 80 in Joliet is scheduled to reopen, weather permitting, by noon Friday, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Motorists can expect delays as work continues along I-80 and should allow extra time for trips through this area, according to IDOT.

Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, and obey the posted speed limits.

The $5.7 million Wheeler Avenue bridge project, which began in late May, is part of advance work leading to the $1.3 billion reconstruction of l-80 through Will County.

Work began in the spring to replace the bridge with a new, wider structure that will accommodate the widening of I-80 under the bridge. The project also included new storm sewers and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk ramps, according to IDOT.

The overall I-80 project will redesign and rebuild 16 miles from Ridge Road in Minooka to Route 30, in Joliet and New Lenox, while adding or extending auxiliary lanes.

Interchanges will be rebuilt or improved at Interstate 55, Route 7, Center Street, Chicago Street, Richards Street and Briggs Street, with a new flyover ramp linking southbound I-55 to eastbound I-80 to improve traffic flow and safety.

In November, state and local leaders in Will County celebrated the reopening of the Houbolt Road interchange and other milestones achieved in the ongoing overhaul of Interstate 80, considered the second longest freeway in the nation.

More than 30 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced, including those over the Des Plaines River.

IDOT expects the project to be substantially complete by the end of 2028, with landscaping, bridge demolition and miscellaneous work extending into 2029, according to the release.