When does McClugage Bridge open? The latest on the massive IDOT project

Correction: The name of IDOT construction field engineer Nick Volk was incorrect in previous versions of this story.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Transportation seem optimistic that the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge between East Peoria and Peoria will open to traffic this fall.

According to IDOT construction field engineer Nick Volk, all substructure work on the bridge has been completed and 95% of the beams have been set. The deck has been poured on approximately 60% of the available area, the roadway work for the IL-116 portion of the project and a new ramp from eastbound US-50 are both completed, and crews have finished the first stage of a new overpass of US-150 over IL-29.

How much is left of the McClugage Bridge project?

Remaining work includes the placement of the bridge railing and protective barriers, completion of the concrete deck-wearing surface for three spans, and such miscellaneous items as landscaping and lighting.

Volk said the existing eastbound bridge will be demolished shortly after the new span opens, which will likely take about 10 months.

“The eastbound McClugage Bridge has carried ever-increasing traffic over the Illinois River in the Peoria metropolitan area for more than 70 years, and the bridge, which opened to traffic in 1948, has become structurally deficient and functionally obsolete,” he said.

Peoria, Illinois:Watch live traffic and road conditions on the McClugage Bridge with BridgeCam

Weather, vehicle use, age, and salt used in snow removal have caused it to deteriorate, he said. The narrow shoulders and lanes cannot efficiently handle its current level of traffic, nor meet future traffic projections. Volk also said the bridge has required multiple repairs in recent years and is not up-to-date with design or safety standards.

What will the new McClugage Bridge include?

The new structure will be more than twice the width of the old bridge and will include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. A third lane and shoulders will increase traffic capacity on the bridge. Volk believes the new McClugage Bridge will not only be a safer, more efficient Illinois River crossing point, but could stimulate growth in the greater Peoria area.

“The installation of the multi-use path will hopefully spur expansion of the regional trail system on the East Peoria side of the river,” he said. “The Peoria side has already seen upgrades to their path system in this area with recently completed upgrades of over a mile of path that was previously an abandoned railroad line.”

IDOT expects to complete the entire McCluggage Bridge project by the summer of 2025. For daily updates and bridge views, visit mcclugagebridge.com.