Construction on a major bridge in downtown Naperville is running months behind schedule, according to Naperville’s Director of Transportation, Engineering, and Development (TED) Bill Novack.
The Washington Street Bridge replacement project started back in the spring of 2023. All north and southbound traffic currently flows on the bridge’s new east side, which was completed during phase one.
The project’s second phase commenced in May. It involves the demolition and replacement of the bridge’s west side, along with a new underground sanitary sewer and an electric duct bank.
“Disappointed” in lack of progress on bridge
Stage two has been ongoing all summer, but Novack is “disappointed” in the lack of progress.
“It’s very complex, and it’s a difficult job in the small space… but have we added more work and things like that to make it harder? No, actually not. The conditions aren’t worse than what would normally be expected,” said Novack.
Novack said there’s still a “significant” amount of work left in phase two, including the west side’s railing, sidewalk, and a latex coat for the bridge’s roadway.
The third stage of the Washington Street Bridge project will involve the completion of the bridge’s centerpiece, and the final stage includes the completion of the east sidewalk, railing, and other amenities.
Novack estimates the bridge will be complete in early summer of 2025, a change from the originally expected timeframe of the late summer or early fall of 2024.
Crews are putting in extra hours to move the project along faster.
“They have started to work Saturdays,” Novack said. “They’ve started to work longer because we told them we’ve got to get this thing done. We have no concerns in the quality, the only issue that we’ve had so far is the speed and rate of progress.”
A representative from the contractor, Glendale Heights-based Dunnet Bay Construction, declined to comment on the project.
Downtown streetscape improvements two weeks behind schedule
Along with the bridge, crews are implementing downtown streetscape improvements and installing new water mains on Washington Street between Chicago Avenue and Benton Avenue.
Novack said crews for this project are only two weeks behind schedule and should have the work done by late October.
“They’re trying very hard, and they’re staying on point,” said Novack. “We’re happy with the progress that they made.”
Resurfacing work is also being done on Washington Street from Ogden Avenue to 75th Street.
Novack said crews have completed all resurfacing north of the bridge, and road work south of the bridge will run through mid-September.
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