State Street Bridge closes, emergency repairs to take several months, CDOT says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The State Street Bridge over the Chicago River closed Monday and will remain closed for months.
An emergency construction project was announced earlier this month by the Chicago Department of Transportation.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Commuters are now realizing they'll have to adjust their routes to work.
"It really impacts me because I live right off of State Street and I work off of State Street, so I walk down this three days a week so I'm shocked and I'm upset because I'm going to have to completely change my work meeting route," commuter Sabeen Abbasi said.
An emergency construction project was announced earlier this month by the Chicago Department of transportation for urgent bridge repair work.
"CDOT will begin critical structural repairs that will require a full closure of the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians through November 2025," CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney said.
SEE ALSO | Street closures for Chicago NASCAR race released, construction schedule shortened: officials
Part of the bridge repairs will include rehabbing the center locks, steel elements at its center, and replacing worn components that have damaged the roadway during extreme heat.
"This bridge was built more than 75 years ago," Commissioner Carney said. "As with all our bridges CDOT has been closely monitoring its condition and recent inspection identified deterioration that prompted us to move this repair project forward to ensure continued safety into the operation of the bridge."
So for the next several months... "I'm not excited about increasing my commute," Abbasi said. "I was excited about 25 minutes walking and now it's going to be a little bit longer so that's kind of a bummer."
Those who live, work or commute through the area will have to maneuver around the major closure.
"And we have other bridges that people can cross so we just have to acclimate," Winner said.
The State Street bridge is scheduled to reopen mid-November.
