en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has entered the final phase of its Interstate 80 modernization project, with construction breaking ground on the $1.3 billion stage.

In early May, work began on two new bridges over the Des Plaines River in Joliet. IDOT stated that these bridges are the most technically challenging components of the entire I-80 improvement plan. The new concrete structures, wider in deck, are located 300 feet north of the old bridges built in the 1960s. Construction of the new bridges is expected to be completed by 2028, with demolition of the old bridges finished by 2029. The contract for this work is valued at $165 million and is being carried out by a joint venture of D. Construction Inc. and Kraemer North America.

By the end of the year, the entire project will have added 13 miles of new lanes, reconstructed interchanges, and completed safety upgrades and capacity enhancements, including a third lane in each direction from Ridge Road to Illinois 7 and from Richards Street to U.S. 30. Upon full completion, the 16-mile stretch of I-80 from Ridge Road in Minooka to U.S. 30 in Joliet and New Lenox will be redesigned or rebuilt, involving the renovation and upgrade of interchanges at I-55, Larkin Avenue, Center Street, Chicago Street, Richards Street, and Briggs Street. A total of over 30 bridges will be repaired or replaced. Interstate 80 is part of one of three transcontinental highways in the United States, carrying approximately 80,000 vehicles daily through Joliet, 25% of which are trucks.

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