Joliet’s Jefferson Street bridge closed for ‘emergency repairs’

The Jefferson Street bridge in downtown Joliet was shut down Wednesday for “emergency repairs,” the Illinois Department of Transportation said.

The unplanned closure puts another crimp in the city’s downtown road network.

“The closure is necessary to replace equipment and electrical components in the tender house that operates the movable bridge,” IDOT said in a news release.

IDOT did not say how long the bridge will be closed and indicated that it does not know.

“The evaluation of the necessary repairs is ongoing,” IDOT said in the release. “A more definitive timeline for when the bridge can reopen will be announced later.”

The Jefferson Street drawbridge carries eastbound U.S. Route 30 traffic across the Des Plaines River and through downtown Joliet.

Westbound U.S. 30 traffic goes over the Cass Street bridge, which has been reduced to one lane since August because of deteriorated steel in the structure.

IDOT plans to close the Cass Street bridge by early September and keep it closed for all of 2026 for structural steel repairs.

The five downtown drawbridges built in the 1930s require repeated repairs. But IDOT policy is to not close any two downtown bridges at the same time.

Bridge closures downtown can back up traffic, which was evident Wednesday afternoon as motorists moved to the three other two-way bridges downtown to get over the river and through downtown.

The posted IDOT detour directs westbound traffic onto Raynor Avenue to cross the river at McDonough Street before reconnecting with U.S. 30 downtown.