Second in a series of detonations on the McClugage Bridge to occur next week

Yahoo

04-04-2025

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The next round of detonations to bring down the old span of the McClugage Bride will be mid next week.
That's the word from the Illinois Department of Transportation which said that roads near the McClugage Bridge in Peoria and East Peoria will close at approximately 9:30 a.m. April 9 due to the impeding 'boom.'
The closures are necessary for the ongoing demolition of the old eastbound bridge, which carries U.S. 150 over the Illinois River, and are expected to last about an hour. Traffic will be routed off U.S. 150 at interchange ramps and will be continuously moving. No stopping on U.S. 150 will be allowed. Adams Street (Illinois 29) will remain open in both directions.
Last month's explosion, one of seven ordered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, is among the final phases of the years-long replacement of the span.
The explosives will be detonated once the roads are closed, the security perimeter is deemed safe and the contractor has performed their final safety checks. The anticipated blast is scheduled to occur between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Old McClugage Bridge to be imploded Thursday; Effect on Osprey Nest
Nick Volk, construction field engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said at the time that the six implosions were to create more space for clean-up.
Only part of the bridge has been demolished. That portion, Volk said, was to clear a small area which would allow salvage crews easier access to the rest of the bridge when it is taken down over the course of the next few weeks.
The bridge project was supposed to be done in 2023 but COVID-19 and supply chain issues pushed it back a year, IDOT has said. Costing about $167 million, the new eastbound bridge has three lanes instead of two and also a 14-foot-wide path that is for walkers and bikers.
There will be trailheads on either side of the river and parking lots on either end of the bridge. On the west side of the river, the Ironworkers Memorial, which honors the three men who died when their scaffolding gave way in 2000 during a rehabilitation project on the bridge, will be moved there from its current spot on Lorentz Avenue.
The new bridge also looks very different from the old one, featuring a large arch rather than the traditional trusses that are part of the westbound span. Think Interstate 39 bridge that crosses the Illinois near LaSalle and you'll get a good idea of what it looks like. And yes, it's painted in IDOT Blue.
Next up, the westbound lanes of the bridge will be getting a new deck and some new paint starting next year, but will go to bid later this year.
Visit McClugageBridge.com to learn more about this project. For more information on IDOT projects, click here. For IDOT District 4 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict4 or view area construction details on IDOT's traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com and www.gettingaroundpeoria.com.
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