PEORIA, Ill. — Drivers through the Peoria Metro area are in for a welcomed Halloween treat.
The Murray Baker Bridge will officially reopen on Oct. 31 after being closed since March 29.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker appeared Monday morning at the Gateway Building to make the announcement.
“I’m proud to say not only was this project completed on time, but also on budget,” he said.
“This is an important symbol of the rejuvenation of the state of Illinois and also of the quality of work that gets done by Illinois’s best union tradespeople.”
The $42.2 million project that was a part of the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois program tackled several key upgrades.
The existing bridge deck was replaced, while structural steel was repaired, lower portions of the bridge were repainted, and an energy-efficient lighting system was installed.
While the bridge for the last seven months has posed an inconvenience to travelers, Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said it was better to shut the entire thing down and complete the construction in one fell swoop.
“Typically, when you do a bridge like this, you’re looking at what you’d call state construction. Perhaps moving traffic on one side of the bridge and doing it one [lane] at a time,” he said.
“We probably saved at least two construction seasons.
“So, to get it done in less than 10 months and one construction season, that was great for us.”
Illinois Department of Transportation did not have an exact time on Saturday the bridge would reopen.
