Three of the six local bridges providing Joliet motorists with access across the Des Plaines river now are down for repairs.

The Ruby Street bridge has been shut down with no estimate on when it may reopen, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday.

“The evaluation of the necessary repairs is ongoing,“ according to a news release from IDOT on Monday. ”A more definitive timeline for when the bridge can reopen will be announced later.”

The drawbridge was shut down due to system failures that occurred Sunday afternoon, according to the release.

The Ruby Street bridge was shut down for two months for repairs in 2025 and was scheduled to be closed again for repairs in early 2027.

The Ruby Street bridge also carries Illinois Route 53 across the Des Plaines River, making it a major commercial route for trucks and other vehicles.

The Cass Street bridge, which carries U.S. Route 30 traffic through downtown Joliet, already has been shut down since September for repairs. So has the Brandon Road bridge, which was last open in 2023 and is located south of the city in unincorporated Joliet Township,

Closing the Ruby Street bridge means one less way for motorists to cross the Des Plaines River, which separates the city’s downtown and older East Side from the West Side of Joliet.