Sometime next year, the Red, White, and Blue Bridge (County Highway 57) in southern LaSalle County will close. It’ll stay closed for a year to a year-and-a-half while the old bridge is removed and a new one is built. The 225 vehicles that cross the Vermilion River there on an average day will have to go elsewhere until the work is done.
The LaSalle County Highway Department predicts the project to cost about $5.5 million. The federal government will pay almost $4.4 million, leaving the rest for the county to cover.
It’s the biggest project on a list of bridge, culvert, and drainage improvements the county highway department wants to do next year. County Highway Engineer Don Ernat presented the projects to the County Board this week.
The other projects are:
– replacing a bridge on N. 12th Rd. in Otter Creek Township for $450,000 with costs split with Livingston County
– installing a culvert lining in a ditch on CH 2 for $90,000
– replacing the CH 9 bridge over Pecumsaugan Creek for $400,000
– replacing a culvert on CH 15 in Otter Creek Township for $405,000
– replacing a CH 52 bridge over Little Indian Creek for $155,000
– preliminary engineering for Brush Creek bridge replacement on E. 0th Rd. for $85,000 with cost sharing with Bureau County
– preliminary engineering for Waupecon Creek bridge replacement on E. 30th for $85,000 with cost sharing with Grundy County