Ruby Street bridge in Joliet open again, IDOT delays upgrades

Says work is ‘highly weather dependent’

The Ruby Street bridge in downtown Joliet, closed for emergency repairs on May 3, was reopened by mid-afternoon on Tuesday. May 14, 2024. — The Ruby Street bridge in downtown Joliet seen in May in this file photo. (Bob Okon)

October 28, 2024 at 4:25 pm CDT

The Ruby Street bridge in downtown Joliet reopened on Saturday.

The installation of aerial cables, which was to be done after the bridge was closed Thursday, has been postponed until further notice, the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a project update on Monday.

The bridge was to be closed for a week.

“The work and schedule is highly weather dependent,” IDOT said.

The Ruby Street bridge is due to be closed for upgrades to equip it for future remote bridge tender operations. The upgrades have been made on other downtown drawbridges. But the Ruby Street bridge project has been rescheduled several times since April.