Essington Road Bridge: Joliet's Slowest Project?

JOLIET, IL — One of the biggest questions on peoples' minds around Joliet isn't whether the Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox will finally get it together. Inquiring minds also want to know about the Essington Road replacement bridge project.

Last week, a reader named Randi asked the following question on the Joliet Patch's Neighbor Post feature: "Does anyone know when the construction on Essington will be finished? Drive on it every day and no work is being done."

Randi's comment is 100 percent true.

Over the past several weeks, Joliet Patch's editor has noticed a large collection of heavy construction equipment, all belonging to the Herlihy Mid-Continent Company in Romeoville, abandoned within the construction zone.

Day after day, Herlihy contractors are nowhere to be found along Essington Road as thousands of Joliet area motorists continue to be inconvenienced.

One of Joliet's busiest four-lane thoroughfares, the section of Essington Road where the replacement bridge is being built has been reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction for the past year.

Herlihy was supposed to have the entire work done by last fall, city of Joliet officials told Patch on Friday.

Instead, Herlihy is starting its second construction season building the replacement bridge.

During a short phone interview last week, Doug Schultz, president of Herlihy construction, said the Essington Road project has been delayed because of an asphalt shortage.

Herlihy said he has not been able to get the necessary asphalt because many of the asphalt plants close down over winter. The asphalt plants typically don't reopen until late April or early May, when the weather is warm.

Patch later spoke with other contractors and confirmed Herlihy's account. Indeed, many of the Chicago area asphalt plants have not reopened, even though the Joliet-based P.T. Ferro Construction Co. already has its asphalt plant operational.

On a positive note, Herlihy's president told Patch he fully expects to have crews back on the job finishing the Essington Road bridge project in about two weeks.

He directed any other questions about the scope of the project and the completion date to the city of Joliet and Illinois Department of Transportation.

Joliet's new public works director Greg Ruddy told Patch on Friday that he expects Herlihy will have the replacement ridge replacement finished in May. He said the asphalt will be put down in early May and that Herlihy will also have some landscaping work to do on the site before the project is all done.

Ruddy said Herlihy was the lowest qualified bidder for the Essington Road replacement bridge, which was a $2.8 million contract.

Originally, Herlihy was supposed to have the bridge completed last fall, Ruddy said, but the project encountered several delays last spring and summer, leaving the work unfinished heading into winter, which is when the asphalt plants tend to stay shutdown for the winter, Ruddy said.

As for Joliet Patch reader Randi's original question, a number of other readers responded and offered their own thoughtful commentary.

"My guess, when Jefferson St. bridge opens," responded Steve.

"I drive on Essington every day on nice days there is no work being done. Just curious as to why," Randi wrote back.

"Low bidder, they get what they pay for(disgraceful how long they are taking)," Steve wrote back to Randi.