News Details

Preparations Underway For Downer Place Bridge Project

Temporary traffic signals will be installed on Benton Street in downtown Aurora starting this week as part of the future detour route for the Downer Place bridge construction project that is slated to begin next month.

Both Downer Place bridges spanning the Fox River will be torn down and replaced this year. The project is tentatively scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 6 and is expected to take about nine months before the new bridges are reopened to vehicular traffic. The bridges, originally built at the turn of the 20th century, have exceeded their useful life and have been deemed structurally deficient by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

When both bridges are shut down on Downer Place, traffic will be detoured south down Broadway Avenue to Benton Street, which will be designated a two-way road between Broadway and River Street throughout the construction period. Motorists can head west on Benton Street, north on River Street and then continue west on Downer Place to complete the detour.

Temporary traffic signals will be installed this month along Benton Street at Broadway Avenue and River Street but will not be activated until construction starts. Flashing red lights and stop signs will be placed along two Stolp Avenue intersections in February at Downer Place and Benton Street.

Motorists also are encouraged to use New York Street and North Avenue to bypass the Downer Place construction zone.

Parking for patrons of Downer Place businesses and other commercial properties on Stolp Avenue between Galena Boulevard and Benton Street will be available in the Stolp Avenue deck. Motorists can access the parking garage by taking either Galena Boulevard or Benton Street to Stolp Avenue and then heading to the deck’s entrance. Patrons using the deck for less than an hour will be able to park free of charge.

Business owners, employers and residents still will need to pay to use the deck. Metered street parking will be permitted on both sides of Benton Street.

All Downer Place businesses will remain open and several of them have rear doors for easier access from Benton Street.  Businesses located on Stolp Island in downtown Aurora can be accessed from Stolp Avenue from either Galena Boulevard or Benton Street.

Eighty percent of the construction and engineering costs, which total $7.83 million, will be federally funded. The City also received a $500,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help offset the City’s share.

The City also is planning to redesign the corner of Downer Place and Stolp Avenue, which will include installing rain gardens on all four corners of the intersection to help collect storm water and beautify the downtown. The project is being paid for in part with a $70,000 green infrastructure grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Downtown business owners with questions regarding the Downer Place bridge project can contact Chris Lirot, City of Aurora project engineer, at 630-256-3200 or by email at clirot@aurora-il.org. The City will be conducting monthly construction updates following the Aurora Downtown meetings, which are scheduled for 8 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month at River’s Edge Café, 18 W. Downer Place.

Residents, business owners and other community stakeholders wanting to monitor the progress of the Downer Place bridge project will be able to find information through several outlets, including:

• Website: Visit the City’s website.
• Email Updates: People can receive email updates on construction progress by visiting the City’s website. Under the “Get Your City News” box, click the “Email Updates” link and sign up.
• Social Media: Updates will be provided on the City’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, which can be found on the City’s website.
• ACTV: Tune in to Aurora Community Television Ch. 10 to view updates on the scrolling news bulletin boards.
• Customer Service Center: Call the City’s Customer Service Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 630-256-INFO.

Location: Aurora, Illinois