Brandon Road Bridge Closed, McDonough Bridge Also Remains Up

JOLIET, IL ? Over the past several years, there has been one constant in Joliet area transportation news ? the Brandon Road Bridge being shutdown for months long repairs. At no point in 2022 had the bridge been closed for any length of time. This past weekend, though, something bad happened to the Brandon Road Bridge and that's left area motorists unable to use the bridge to pass between Elwood and Rockdale.

WJOL reported on Monday morning that the bridge remains stuck in the upright position and that it will stay closed until further notice.

On Monday, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced that Brandon Road Bridge over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, is closed for emergency repairs. The closure is necessary to replace a mechanical component on the bridge that failed Saturday morning.

This week's detour directs motorists to Laraway Road, Chicago Street, Ruby Street, Broadway Street, Theodore Street, Larkin Avenue and U.S. 6.

IDOT said it is working to get all traffic detours signs in place.

"Please note that this detour is slightly different than previous ones, as the McDonough Street (U.S. 6/52) bridge is currently closed for construction," IDOT officials noted. "The evaluation of the necessary repairs is ongoing. A more definitive timeline for when the bridge can reopen will be announced later."

According to Joliet Patch archives, the Brandon Road Bridge has been working smoothly since Aug. 27, 2021. At that time, it had been closed for almost a week because of mechanical repairs by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The last time the Brandon Road Bridge broke for any length of time, in January 2020, it remained closed for the next 15 months.