O'Dekirk Advocates Truck Bridge Over Des Plaines from CenterPoint to I-80


August 6, 2014

Joliet mayoral candidate and current City Councilman Bob O'Dekirk released a press release yesterday regarding a bridge over the Des Plaines River to relieve traffic on local roads such as Route 53 in Joliet.  O'Dekirk states he was contacted by union officials claiming to have a plan and private money to build a toll bridge over the Des Plaines to connect CenterPoint with I-80 at Houboult Road.  Full press release from O'Dekirk:

"On the heels of yet another semitrailer rollover on I-55 Monday afternoon, Joliet District 2 Councilman, Bob O’Dekirk is calling for an expedited plan to build a proposed truck bypass bridge from CenterPoint to I-80 at Houbolt Rd.

"The horrific traffic accident on I-55 last week is a call to action” O’Dekirk said, “these types of accidents and numerous rollovers on both I-55 and I-80 won’t stop until we solve the truck congestion problem plaguing Joliet and the surrounding area.”   O'Dekirk would like to move a proposed project forward that has private financing and will not cost the city. 

Last fall, O’Dekirk was contacted by several union officials who shared a preliminary plan for a truck toll bridge from the CenterPoint intermodal to the interstate.  The plan was specific in detail and included proposed private sources of money, which would be used to pay for the project.  A toll would be paid by trucks, while allowing regular, non-commercial traffic to access it for free.  Private investment and toll revenue would pay for the project.  Ultimately, Joliet would take ownership of the toll bridge and all revenues would go to city coffers.

“While this plan has languished, the area around CenterPoint Intermodal has continued to be plagued by numerous traffic accidents involving trucks accessing the facility causing numerous fatalities,” O’Dekirk explained, “and I’m willing to lead the way in forging a partnership with this private group to get it done and get it done now.”

O’Dekirk also said the historic Rt. 66 corridor would benefit from this project and that would be an economic gain for the region.  Recently, a Rt. 66 Association of Illinois preservation committee member and historian, John Weiss, warned that the ongoing glut of truck traffic will discourage tourists and motorists from visiting the Rt. 66 historic area.  He said tourist dollars will continue to be lost if nothing is done.

O'Dekirk joins other elected officials, notably State Rep Larry Walsh Jr., in citing the need to relieve the congestion caused by the influx of trucks on local roads. He invites Walsh and other area elected officials and community leaders to join his team to move this project forward. " 

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