Mile-Long Bridge
Bridge in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mile-Long Bridge is the colloquial name for a 4,608-foot-long (1,404.5 m) bridge in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. The bridge carries Interstate 294 (I-294) over the Des Plaines River, the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, two major railroad lines, and an intermodal facility. A series of 51 piers carries I-294 over the broad Des Plaines River valley.[1]
I-294 TollShip and Sanitary Canal
BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision
CN Joliet Subdivision
Chicago Intermodal Facility
Mile-Long Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Mile-Long bridge crossing the Des Plaines River | |
| Coordinates | 41.7504°N 87.8652°W |
| Carries | 10 lanes of I-294 Toll |
| Crosses | Des Plaines River Ship and Sanitary Canal BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision CN Joliet Subdivision Chicago Intermodal Facility |
| Locale | Willow Springs, IL |
| Maintained by | Illinois State Toll Highway Authority |
| ID number | 000016095903931[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Steel girder[1] |
| Total length | 4,608 ft (1,404.5 m)[1] |
| Width | 42 ft (12.8 m)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 1958[1] |
| Rebuilt | 2022[2] |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 150,000[3] |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Mile-Long Bridge | |
In spite of its name, the bridge falls 672 feet (205 m) short of one full mile in length.
History
Reconstruction (2019–2023)
As part of the Central Tri-State Tollway Project, construction of a new Mile-Long Bridge structure, together with demolition of the original 1958 structure, proceeded in phases commencing in 2019.[4] In the first completed phase of the project, a new northbound bridge structure opened to traffic in November 2020. Demolition of the old northbound structure commenced in 2021, followed by the construction of a new southbound structure. The completed southbound structure opened to traffic in October 2022. Removal of the old southbound structure is expected to be complete in 2023.[2]
