The Home Avenue pedestrian bridge overlooking the Eisenhower Expressway is set to be replaced, along with the Interstate 290 reconstruction project due to deterioration.
The Village of Oak Park is asking for engineering firms to submit their qualifications to do planning and design for the replacement of the bridge by Jan. 26. The bridge was built as part of the original I-290 construction in the late 1950s.
“It’s still structurally fine, but it is getting near the end of a lifespan for a typical bridge,” Oak Park village engineer Bill McKenna said.
No submissions from engineering firms have been received yet, McKenna said, but he expects those closer to the deadline. An internal village staff group will review the proposals and conduct interviews before recommending a firm for approval by the village board of trustees.
“We review the submittals and try to pick the firm that’s most qualified to do that project,” he said. “We look at what kind of past experience do they have for doing similar bridges.”
In Oak Park’s 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Plan, the village has budgeted $1.1 million for the preliminary engineering study and $1.2 million for the final design. Federal funds will finance 80% of the cost of the design work, McKenna said, the other 20% coming from the village’s capital improvement funds. The village expects to spend $1 million on construction management and $10 million on construction in the fiscal year 2028, according to the plan.
McKenna said he imagines it will take roughly three years for the final design to be approved. After the bridge design is completed, the village will look for additional federal funding for the construction of the bridge. The timeline for construction is to be determined, he said, as the design will dictate time and cost.
IDOT has completed a preliminary engineering and environmental study but has not yet proposed a detailed improvement plan for reconstructing the expressway. Other bridges over I-290 will likely require replacement along with the Home Avenue bridge, McKenna said. The village anticipates IDOT approval to start design work in 2024, according to the recent CIP.
The Village of Oak Park has completed maintenance over the years to make sure the Home Avenue bridge is in safe condition, McKenna said, including improvement to the ramps, patching up the deck and repairs on fencing and railing. But the village has known for a while that it would need to be replaced eventually, he said.
The village also intends to get public input on the proposed bridge replacement designs during public meetings, McKenna said. While the bridge is under construction, the walkway will be out of service. Pedestrians trying to cross at the Home Avenue bridge will likely be rerouted to Oak Park Avenue or Harlem Avenue, McKenna said.