The intersection at Elsah Creek leading to Illinois Route 100, commonly known as River Road, is under construction until Nov. 28, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Every two years, IDOT inspects bridges around the state to ensure their safety. Though the Elsah bridge is in good condition, there are a few safety precautions to follow, which have reduced the road to one lane each way and created a more difficult left turn out of Elsah.
“Nov. 28 looks like a good ending point [for construction], unless the weather moves it,” IDOT employee John Adcock said in a phone interview.
The Elsah bridge has some deteriorated pavement joints that meet the roadway, prompting IDOT to install patches in the pavement to make it smoother. They also plan to add an overlay on top to seal it up. Adcock said the first part of the process takes over a month and a half to complete, and once they switch to the other side of the road, they will repeat the same process.
Elsah Village residents and Principia staff said they were not informed about the reason for the bridge repair. Duncan Charters, a Principia College professor and Elsah resident, said the lack of communication raised safety concerns. “It was quite a dangerous left turn,” he said.
Others echoed those worries, noting that the construction has made the turn out of Elsah onto River Road even more difficult. “The left turn out of Elsah is scary; it feels more blind [with the construction],” said Portia Benson, a Principia faculty member who commutes from St. Louis.
Following community feedback about the left turn, IDOT made changes to improve safety, according to spokesperson Dawn Johnson.
“[The sign] was unclear and it felt dangerous to drive through at the beginning, but it has improved,” said Prin faculty member Wendy Reynolds.
In addition, safety concerns should be reduced further when the construction switches to the other side of the road.
The state gave IDOT $1,685,988.11 to do the project. Keely and Sons Construction Company from St. Louis can be seen working on the project.
