Ruby Street bridge closing in Joliet delayed

Upgrades at the Ruby Street bridge in downtown Joliet have been delayed until early May.

The bridge over the Des Plaines River was expected to close Monday, and signs had been posted at the bridge for weeks advising motorists of the closing.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will provide details on the new closing schedule next week, spokeswoman Maria Castaneda said Friday.

The bridge could be closed for two months as it is equipped for remote control operations, Castaneda said.

IDOT has been equipping all five downtown drawbridges for remote control from a central location in Joliet along the river. The Brandon Road bridge located just outside Joliet city limits also will be controlled remotely.

The bridges now are operated, as they have been since they were built in the 1930s, by tenders located at each bridge. The new system is being designed to allow the bridges to be raised and lowered from the central location.