The Bob Michel Bridge overhaul is finally nearing the finish line, and state officials say it's quite a feat that it happened as fast as it did.
Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday the size and scope of the bridge’s $25 million renovation would normally make it a multi-year project.
“But thanks to our talented laborers and the leadership of IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation), with final completion in just a few weeks, the job will have been completed, instead of multi-years, in less than one year,” said Pritzker during a gathering at the Peoria Riverfront Museum to mark the project’s near completion.
Work on the 30-year-old bridge included replacing the entire deck, installing median barrier walls, and adding a 14-foot-wide multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Among the elected officials joining Pritzker at Monday’s event were mayors Rita Ali of Peoria and John Kahl of East Peoria, state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and state Reps. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington.
Ali called the Bob Michel Bridge a vital link between Peoria’s Warehouse District and East Peoria’s Levee District, and a key facilitator of economic development.
“It makes connections between the people who live, work and play here,” Ali said. “Not only does it create connections, but it's an example of collaboration, collaboration between city and state and city to city collaboration for the benefit of all within this region and beyond.”
Pritzker said the refurbishment of the Bob Michel Bridge is exactly what the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois program of capital investment in infrastructure upgrades is meant to accomplish.
“When we make smart investments in the roadways and our bridges that working families and businesses rely upon, we're constructing a better future for the entire region – one where parents and their children can commute with confidence, and where new factories and distribution centers are choosing to locate in Illinois, so they can reliably ship their products across the nation,” Pritzker said.
“Roads, bridges, transit, broadband airports – we are modernizing every aspect of our state's infrastructure, and there's still more to come. We are building our future with ambition, with efficiency, with purpose, and that future is getting brighter every single day.”
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood commended Pritzker for building a bridge across party lines to get the Rebuild Illinois infrastructure package approved in 2019.
“Part of it was raising the gas tax, and many people felt that it was going to be difficult to pass that bill,” LaHood said. “The truth is, the governor could have passed it with votes from people from his own party, but he made a point of reaching out to Republicans. He made a point of saying that transportation for our citizens is and always will be bipartisan.”
State Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said condensing the construction timeline to nine months enables the public to reap the benefits of the bridge’s upgrades without an extended delay.
“We delivered this project with the least impact possible to local businesses, commuters and residents,” Osman said. “Rebuild Illinois has literally transformed Peoria, improving safety and creating opportunities.”
Osman also touted the advantages of the construction itself, particularly noting the participation of students from Illinois Central College’s highway careers training program like Ericka Crookshanks.
“To think a year ago, I was sitting in a classroom at ICC in the highway construction career training program, not knowing where it would take me,” Crookshanks said. “I'm beyond grateful where it has taken me; I have a career path now with plenty of benefits and it's just amazing.”
Jason Emerick, the business manager for Ironworkers Local 112, celebrated the job creation that came out of the Bob Michel Bridge project.
“Nearly all the construction unions had a part in this project. Our skilled men and women put their hard hats on and they went to work. It wasn't easy to complete in eight months, but they were up for the task,” Emerick said. “This project also allowed us to increase our number of apprentices. These apprentices became part of the workforce and now these young folks are on the path to becoming career tradespersons.
“Thanks to the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, Peoria and central Illinois truly are on the move. Not only does this plan shore up our infrastructure, but it also shores up our local construction workforce by guaranteeing a prevailing livable wage. When those two things come together, we can truly stimulate our local economies.”
Osman said the Bob Michel Bridge will open by the end of the year, ideally before Christmas. He said a firm date is unavailable because the remaining work is contingent on weather conditions.
