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Bridge replacement to pinch traffic on College Avenue
By Mary Ann Ford
mford@pantagraph.com
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NORMAL -- If your morning commute includes the College Avenue bridge near Epiphany School and Anderson Park, you may want to consider a new route or give yourself some extra travel time.

Work to replace the bridge is expected to begin Monday morning. The $1.1 million project will reduce westbound traffic to one lane and close eastbound lanes until at least August. After that, only one lane will be available in each direction until the project is finished in late November.

During the first phase of the plan, eastbound College Avenue traffic will be detoured to Linden Street north to Willow Street, Willow Street east to Fort Jesse Road, Fort Jesse east to Towanda Avenue, and Towanda south to College, said town engineer Gene Brown.

Brown said drivers also may use Vernon Avenue or other roads to travel east-west.

Local traffic will be maintained on College Avenue between Linden and Towanda but eastbound traffic will be prohibited between Grandview Drive and Veronica Way.

Westbound drivers also will be given a detour option if they want to avoid the one-lane road during the first phase of construction. No vehicles wider than 9 feet will be able to use the westbound College Avenue lane. The marked detour for westbound traffic will be Towanda north to Fort Jesse, Fort Jesse west to Willow, Willow west to Linden, Linden south to Mulberry, and Mulberry west to the Mulberry/College coupling at School Street.

Timed to Illinois State University plans

During the first construction phase, Brown said, workers will build two lanes on the south portion of the bridge. The target date for completing that project is Aug. 1. When that work is done, those two lanes will be open — one for westbound traffic and one for eastbound traffic — and the north portion of the bridge will be closed so construction can start on it.

When the project is finished, there will be two eastbound and two westbound lanes and a protected sidewalk on each side.

Brown said the work was timed to avoid Illinois State University graduation and end-of-school-year move. The first phase also is timed to be completed before students return in the fall.

But the work will affect Anderson Aquatic Center and park users. Brown said vehicles will not be able to go eastbound from either of the parking lots at the facility.

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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

chickenman wrote on May 16, 2008 9:59 PM:

" Wait until you have to turn from Beech to Ft. Jesse going south! How about a turn arrow Gene? "

Anon Comment wrote on May 16, 2008 4:49 PM:

" Settle down, my friend. No need to be mean-spirited. We'll find another way. Detours are a way of life in B-N and that's just fine. Only a little light-hearted complaining on my part. Geez. "

normalguy wrote on May 16, 2008 4:17 PM:

" the priority is isu not epiphany and their little carnival. but they could have waited four more days till after memorial day. "

makana wrote on May 16, 2008 2:49 PM:

" I grew up on Beech St. many years ago and remember when College Ave. was Ash St. Anderson Park was Ash Park played American Legion Little League there. Epiphany was just built and attended Church in Chapel/gymnasium in those days. was all corn fields east of there...been away from Illinois now many many years, still read the pantagraph, and don't recognize any of the new streets and understand the community has sprawled east to Towanda is the Merna tap still alive and kicking??
"

McLovin It wrote on May 16, 2008 12:17 PM:

" "In reducing westbound traffic to one lane and closing eastbound lanes until at least August, how in the world are we supposed to get to school and church?" OH NO!!!! College will be shut down west of Epiphany? Do you mean to tell me that I may have to drive through one-lane traffic? EVEN WORSE, I may have to drive a few blocks out of my way and come to school/church from the EAST? What an inconvienience to my self-important self. Gosh, how will I ever survive? FIND ANOTHER WAY!!!!! "

Anon Comment wrote on May 16, 2008 12:06 PM:

" Boo, my kids go to school at Epiphany. I understand the need to work on the bridge, but, man, couldn't they at least have waited until after school was out? In reducing westbound traffic to one lane and closing eastbound lanes until at least August, how in the world are we supposed to get to school and church? Wonder how this may affect the rebuilding and renovations the church has to begin in the near future as well? "

michelle24 wrote on May 16, 2008 10:38 AM:

" Yay, I know to steer clear of that area. "
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