Havana bridge lane closures begin March 9

HAVANA - The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that occasional daytime lane closures on the Scott Lucas Memorial Bridge (U.S. 136/Illinois 78/97) over the Illinois River at Havana begin March 9.

The lane closures are necessary to prepare for rehabilitation of the bridge, which will begin May 1. The lane closures will still allow wider vehicles and implements to cross the bridge with the help of flaggers.

The rehabilitation involves deck patching, joint replacement, lighting upgrades and painting and will reduce the bridge to one lane, with traffic controlled by temporary signals, between May 1 and Sept. 1 this year and next. Overnight work also is anticipated.

The entire project is expected to be complete in fall 2027.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve 7,107 lane miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Six of Rebuild Illinois include almost $20.8 billion of improvements statewide to 21,309 lane miles of highway, 815 bridges and 1,181 additional safety improvements.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. For IDOT District 4 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict4 or view area construction details on IDOT's traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.