UPDATD 12:12 P.M. 12/23/23
The bridge was reopened Saturday morning, as fencing could be seen already removed, and traffic moving across the bridge.
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PEORIA, Ill. – And you thought it would never get done.
After nine months that for many motorists seemed like much, much longer, the rebuilding of the Bob Michel Bridge connecting Peoria and East Peoria will be open Saturday afternoon.
That’s according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, who doesn’t specify a time for the opening, other than to say it will be during the “early afternoon hours”.
The entirety of the bridge has been closed since March of this year to rebuild the entire deck, in part, so that there can be expanded pedestrian and bike access.
IDOT says doing all the work in one construction season instead of two saved taxpayers time and money.
Despite the growing anxiety of motorists, and despite Governor JB Pritzker coming to Peoria several weeks ago to celebrate “substantial completion” of the project, the work was close to on time, as officials had said all along it would take about eight to nine months.
