New Houbolt Road Truck Bridge Underway: Photos, Video

JOLIET, IL — In 2016, Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced that a new Houbolt Road bridge linking Interstate 80 and intermodal facilities in Joliet would be built. Five years later, the two-year-long construction bridge has finally begun.

The new Houbolt Road bridge is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.

According to a news release packet provided to Joliet Patch from Jim Murphy of J.V. Murphy & Associates, here are some of the key details about the project:

What's it called?

The Houbolt Road Extension-JV is a joint venture between United Bridge Partners and CenterPoint Properties. They entered into a lease agreement with the city of Joliet.

What are the project details?

The privately financed project involves designing and constructing a new four-lane concrete 1.5-mile-long highway extension, including a 0.4-mile-long bridge over the Des Plaines River. HRE-JV will finance, construct, operate, and maintain the bridge while collecting bridge tolls under a 99-year lease agreement with the City of Joliet.

What's the cost?

$150 million to $200 million, all union labor.

What's the goal?

The project will provide a direct route between I-80 and CIC-Joliet, and the UP and BNSF Intermodal Facilities. The Houbolt Road extension will feature two lanes in each direction and a dedicated pedestrian/bicycle path.

Who's doing the work?

D Construction of Coal City is the excavation subcontractor. The general contractors will be Kenny-Kraemer in a joint venture: Kenny Construction and Kraemer Construction.

Other facets of the construction?

• Turning and merging lanes from Houbolt Road to Schweitzer Road and US Route 6
• A signalized intersection at Vetter and Schweitzer Roads.
• Grading for pedestrian/bicycle path parallel to the new roadway on Houbolt Road.
• The State of Illinois and City of Joliet will construct a new diverging diamond interchange at I-80 and Houbolt Road and reconstruct Houbolt Road from I-80 to US Route 6.

“On behalf of the City of Joliet, this project has won our support and we’re happy to get it started, as it will be a big step forward to mitigating truck traffic on local roads,” said Mayor Bob O’Dekirk in a news release.

For more construction project details, visit the Houbolt Road bridge website here.