West Cook News

Beginning June 24, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will commence a construction project to resurface the Forest Avenue Bridge over the Des Plaines River in Riverside.

During the entire construction period, the bridge will be completely closed to vehicular traffic. The pedestrian sidewalks on either side of the bridge will remain open. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by August 9.

While IDOT typically stages projects like this so they can keep at least one lane of traffic open at all times, they decided on a complete closure in order to ensure the project is complete before Riverside-Brookfield High School resumes classes on August 13.

However, those Brookfield families who have enrolled children in the Riverside District 96 summer school program at Hauser Junior High and Blythe Park School, which begins July 15, will be impacted by the bridge closure during the entire summer school session.

To reach Hauser/downtown Riverside from the west, IDOT's detour routes traffic to 31st Street and then south down Woodside Road. To reach Blythe Park, Brookfielders will need to go to 31st Street, then south on Woodside and east on Delaplaine Road to Eastgrove and Kent before turning south on Leesley.