On July 8, community members gathered at the Oak Park Conservatory to learn about planning for a new pedestrian bridge across I-290 at Home Avenue and share their thoughts with village officials. Community members watched a short information video about three potential designs for the bridge, viewed informational slides, and spoke with project planners.
Attendees at the open house also had the opportunity to submit public comments by paper or online. Comments are still open on the Engage Oak Park website, and those submitted by July 22 will be added to the public meeting record.
The new bridge would be a replacement for the existing pedestrian bridge extending across the Eisenhower Expressway at Home Avenue. Proposed designs remain dedicated to pedestrians and bikers but include a wider path and accessible entry ramps for bikes and wheelchairs. The plans are also more stylish and modern than the existing bridge which planners argued would act as a “signature bridge” and “gateway” to the village and attract foot and bike traffic to the area.
Oak Park’s bridges across the expressway will all eventually be replaced as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) plan to renovate the highway. Unlike the bridges at Austin, Lombard, Ridgeland, East, Oak Park and Harlem, the Home Avenue bridge is entirely owned and operated by the Village of Oak Park. However, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is committed to funding a new pedestrian bridge as part of its plans to reimagine the Eisenhower expressway. The village’s plan would be an alternative to IDOT’s plans for the bridge but would comply with the agency’s plans for I-290.
Bill McKenna, village engineer, said the village hopes IDOT will provide the funding designated for the proposed state-funded bridge, which he estimated would be around $8 to $10 million. The proposed plans presented at the July 8 meeting would cost approximately $12 to $15 million. McKenna said the village would explore options for federal funding, and that he hopes federal grants could fund up to 80% of the added cost. The rest of the funding would likely come from Oak Park’s capital improvement fund.
User experience would be the primary difference between IDOT’s potential plan – likely a “pretty standard bridge,” said McKenna – and the village’s proposed bridge. “The bridges that we’re looking at, besides being aesthetically pleasing, we’re looking at all sorts of lighting opportunities for it, so that as a user on the bridge, you would have a much different experience than you would on an IDOT pedestrian bridge.”
McKenna also said he hopes the bridge designs might catch drivers’ attention and bring more traffic to the area. “You’ve got hundreds of thousands of people passing through that corridor. You can capture their attention and hopefully create a sense of place and bring people to the area. … We think it has opportunity for reinvigorating that area.” Additionally, McKenna said repairs on the old bridge have been costing the village, and that getting the old bridge “off the books” would be a good thing for the community.
The village is considering three design options, which offer different looks and feels. They have different characters,” said architect Miguel Rosales. All three include similar entry ramps which will be more accessible for bikers and wheelchair users (longer winding ramp on the south end and then a ramp on the north end, in addition to stairs. Option A has a “clean arch design, curve design,” Rosales said. It features an arch that is connected at the center of the bridge and has light cables to “make it feel more open.” Option B “has an industrial character,” he said, and has a truss system similar to bridges that span the Chicago River. Option C creates a “gateway” effect, with a tall singular arch. “I think if you wanted to have a bridge that was more impactful, more visible, you’ll go with the C,” said Rosales.
Home Avenue residents Bob and Sue Larson attended the July 8 meeting. They said they were happy to see that the bridge would remain solely for pedestrians, the plans included more accessible and visible ramps, and the village was hoping to secure state and federal funding for the project. Both preferred options A and B to option C, which reminded them of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. “They’re saying, it’s a great gateway to Oak Park,” said Bob. “Well, it’s really not, because it’s in the middle.”
Engineer McKenna said that after the open house meeting, the plan commission will meet to discuss the public input and figure out how to incorporate feedback into the design. He hopes the commission will present preliminary designs to the village board later this month. “We want the village board to pick concepts, so that we can keep designing,” he said. The project will later be reviewed by IDOT. The goal is to be “shovel ready” as soon as possible, which could help the project receive federal funding.