Ruby Street Bridge: Is It Open? Is It Closed? Is It Open Again?

JOLIET ? The Illinois Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday afternoon that Ruby Street bridge over the Des Plaines River has been reopened following several days of emergency repairs. The closure was necessary to replace a mechanical component on the bridge that failed 11 days ago.

Now, the bad news. The Ruby Street Bridge will be closed again come early June, because that is when IDOT needs another two months of work to automate the bridge so it can be remotely controlled. That way, IDOT can eliminate the need for having bridge tenders on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at each drawbridge location throughout Joliet.

According to Joliet's news radio station, WJOL, the next Ruby Street Bridge shutdown will begin on June 3.