No More One-Way Bridge For Cass Street Starting Soon

JOLIET, IL — The Illinois Department of Transportation has agreed with the city of Joliet's request to convert the one-way Cass Street Bridge into a two-way route while the Jefferson Street Bridge remains closed for repairs until October.

On Thursday morning, IDOT signs along the west-bound section of Cass Street less than two blocks in front of the Cass Street Bridge warned motorists that traffic will move both directions starting May 1.

Last month, Mayor Bob O'Dekirk held a news conference urging IDOT to let traffic move both ways at the Cass Street Bridge while the Jefferson Street Bridge remains broken. The Jefferson Street Bridge has remained closed since last June 1.

The Jefferson Street Bridge has been a one-way route for years, only allowing traffic from the west side of Joliet to get to the east side of Joliet. On the other hand, the Cass Street Bridge only allowed Route 30 traffic from the east side of Joliet to cross the river and get to the city's west side.

The continued shutdown of the Jefferson Street Bridge has irked city of Joliet officials as well as civic leaders and downtown Joliet business owners.

In an attempt to appease the city's traffic concerns, IDOT has agreed to allow vehicles to travel both east and west over the Des Plaines River at the Cass Street Bridge.

O'Dekirk told Joliet Patch that he was thankful for the help from several Joliet area state lawmakers who worked with Joliet to make the Cass Street Bridge as a two-way bridge. The mayor said there's a good chance that both the Jefferson Street Bridge and the Cass Street Bridge will be open to traffic from both directions, rather than stay one-way bridges, in the coming months once the Jefferson Street Bridge is back open again.

IDOT's decision to make the Cass Street Bridge two-way traffic starting May 1 will make it much easier for Joliet residents on the west side to travel to downtown Joliet for work or business while the Jefferson Street Bridge repairs continue.