Mt. Vernon Register-News

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April 25, 2008

Bridge repairs in Bluford almost finished

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By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

BLUFORD — After years of waiting for the repairs to be made to the Short Street bridge, residents are being asked to wait a little longer due to recent wet conditions.

Jefferson County Board Chairman Ted Buck said he has been receiving complaints from Bluford residents and the owners of the Bluford Grocery wanting to know when the bridge replacement project will be completed and the road opened again. County engineer Steve Schnake said the project is almost completed, with dirt work left to be completed.

Unfortunately, recent rains have saturated the ground so much that construction crews can’t get into the area and complete the dirt work.

The 75-year-old timber bridge had been deteriorating for years, and in 2006, the Illinois Department of Transportation downgraded the bridge, which spans the Canadian National/Illinois Central Railroad, to a weight limit of 3 tons. The weight limitation immediately affected Webber Township Fire Protection District, as Short Street is the main thoroughfare to the east side of the village, and trucks weigh about 12 tons when fully loaded.

In October, the road was closed to allow the crews to remove the bridge and construct the new one. Included in the plans is a new pedestrian walkway.

Schnake said Wednesday that once the ground dries enough to allow crews to work, the dirt work should take 10 working days to complete.

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