Bradley and Kirby I-57 Bridges

A vote on the Bradley bridge renovations is coming up. Also a reminder of the much delayed Kirby bridge project from the News-Gazette today:

Vote set on IDOT plan for Bradley bridge
After 56 years, the Bradley Avenue bridge over Interstate 57 could be coming down.

The Champaign City Council will vote Tuesday on an Illinois Department of Transportation project to completely replace the bridge, renovate its approaches and improve the surrounding area.

If approved, construction is slated to begin in 2019. The plan is to create two 11-foot traffic lanes, according to a city staff report, with a six-foot bike lane and sixfoot sidewalk on each side.

There would also be protective pedestrian fencing on each side of the bridge. It only has two traffic lanes now and was designed in the 1960s for low-volume use, according to the report.

Most folks may have heard more local coverage of the Kirby bridge due to citizen complaints, which also got a mention:

The Kirby Avenue bridge over I-57 shares some of the same ailments as Bradley’s — age deterioration and no pedestrian or bicycle lanes. Champaign neighborhood groups have urged the council in recent years to negotiate with IDOT to prioritize the Kirby bridge — slated for renovation in 2023 — over Bradley due to safety concerns.

More on that project at the News-Gazette here. More information on the current reduced speed and beacons for bicycle traffic from last October here.