Downtown Washington Street Bridge Replacement Project
This project includes the replacement of the Washington Street bridge due to its deteriorating condition as well as improvements to the intersection of Aurora Avenue and Washington Street.
Project Updates
(Click the image for construction updates)
June 26, 2025: Final surfacing is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 27. Driveways and parking lots have been restored, and pedestrian access is open on the west side of the bridge between Chicago Avenue and the JC Licht parking lot. Pavement marking is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 30, and traffic signals are expected to be operational later that week. Pending weather and unforeseen schedule changes, work is still on track to reopen all lanes of the bridge by July 4.
May 12, 2025: The left side of the bridge is complete, and traffic on Washington Street has been switched to the west half of the bridge to allow crews to construct the sidewalk, traffic barriers, and monuments along the east side of the bridge. While sidewalks, monuments, and lighting are almost complete on the west side of the bridge, the area remains closed for the safety of pedestrians.
The current traffic pattern of one lane of traffic in each direction will remain in place until further notice. Motorists and pedestrians should continue to follow all posted signs in the area until construction is complete.
Pending weather and unforeseen schedule changes, all four lanes on the bridge are expected to open by July 4.
- Project Timeline
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To lessen the impacts to the surrounding downtown, the bridge will be repaired in several stages.
Spring 2023: Stage One Construction Begins: Beginning the week of May 8, crews will demolish and replace the east side of bridge. North and southbound traffic will move to the west side of the bridge with one lane of traffic maintained in each direction.
Spring 2024: Stage Two Construction Begins May 21: Crews will demolish and replace the west side of the bride. North and southbound traffic will move to the east side of the bridge with one lane of traffic maintained in each direction.
The remaining stages of the project will begin after stage two and will include the completion of the center piece (stage three) and the completion of the east sidewalk, railing, and other amenities (stage four).
The tentative completion of the Washington Bridge Replacement project is currently anticipated in early summer 2025.
- Project Background
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Washington Street is an important thoroughfare through downtown Naperville. It is the only northâsouth route in the City that crosses both the BNSF railway tracks and the West Branch of the DuPage River. Being such a vital corridor, Washington Street sees a considerable amount of traffic. In addition to vehicular traffic, Washington Street is host to a variety of small businesses and recreational areas including Fredenhagen Park and the Naperville Riverwalk.
At the center of downtown Naperville is the Washington Street bridge. Tens of thousands of vehicles traverse this bridge every single day. The structure, which is located between Aurora Avenue and Chicago Avenue, is more than 40 years old and it is in need of replacement due to its deteriorated condition. To extend its life span, the bridge has been load posted to restrict the size of vehicle that can use the bridge. The bridge is still adequate for passenger vehicles.
Preparations to replace the bridge have been ongoing for several years. A 15-ton weight limit was imposed in 2016 to reduce damage from heavy loads. Regular inspections of the bridge have been in place since 2016 and monthly inspections of the bridge have been ongoing since January 2019.
The inspection in September 2022 showed signs of increased deterioration. After consultation with bridge engineers from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the City was directed to lower the posted weight limit from 15 tons to 8 tons and close the outside southbound lane and the inside northbound lane. The lane closures will shift traffic flow away from the affected area of the bridge and allow the City to prepare for a long-term solution. On-street parking on Washington Street will not be impacted.
A complete replacement of the bridge is tentatively scheduled to begin in spring of 2023. The City has secured federal funding from IDOT to perform the project through the Federal Bridge Program, which will cover 80 percent of the cost.