UPDATE: The old bridge demolition has been postponed until Thursday because of the weather forecast.
The new Illinois 178 bridge over the Illinois River at Utica will be closed for a few hours tomorrow Thursday morning. The Illinois Department of Transportation will close it at 7:30am and prepare for the old bridge to be imploded. Then there’ll be a few hours of cleanup before the new bridge reopens. It’ll be a full 24 hours before the river channel is open again. Part of Starved Rock State Park will be evacuated during the implosion. The Illinois 178 closure will go from Illinois 71 to Utica Village Hall. Dee Bennett Rd. will also be closed at Illinois 178.
Pictured: Ribbon cutting ceremony when the new Illinois 178 bridge opened in October.