Houbolt Road Bridge P3 Project, Joliet, Illinois

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The Houbolt Road is the largest inland port in North America located in Will County. A privately owned and operated tolled 1.5-mile roadway/bridge project. The project limits extend from the existing Houbolt Road/US 6 intersection south to the Schweitzer Road/Vetter Road intersection. This new access route for trucks is the result of years of collaboration and thoughtful planning, and will ensure the industry remains a driver of jobs and revenue for Will County while protecting our community. The Joliet City Council on Tuesday (7/20/2020) approved an agreement that will make the city owners of a toll bridge over the Des Plaines River to be built, operated and maintained by a private partnership created by CenterPoint Properties. An agreement was executed between the Illinois Department of Transportation, CenterPoint Properties Trust, the City of Joliet, and Will County. Under the agreement, CenterPoint was authorized to build and operate a new tolled bridge on Houbolt Road over the Des Plaines River. The Houbolt Road bridge project included extension of Houbolt Road between US-6 and Schweitzer Road by constructing a new toll bridge over the Des Plaines River, widening Houbolt Road between Interstate 80 and the bridge, and rebuilding the interchange at Interstate 80. The bridge spans the Des Plaines River BNSF Railroad tracks to create a direct connection to Interstate 80 for trucks at the CenterPoint Intermodal Center. The facility marked the country’s largest inland port where goods are transferred between rail and freight. The project involved improvements to the I-80/Houbolt Road Interchange and the US-6/Houbolt Road Intersection, including construction, reconstruction, widening, and resurfacing work. The reconstruction of the US-6/Houbolt Road Intersection included new traffic signalization. In addition, widening and resurfacing work was performed to the Houbolt Road between I-80 and US-6. Improvements were also carried to the Railroad Crossing surface and signals along the Houbolt Road. The project used a diverging-diamond design to help with traffic flow, and provided two lanes of traffic in each direction. The project improvements were intended to connect Vetter Road/Baseline Road to provide I-80 access to the CenterPoint Intermodal Center Facilities in Joliet and Elwood. The project is designed to improve safety and relieve congestion for the 11,000 vehicles, including more than 6,600 trucks that use the bridge daily. Tolls collected will help strengthen the State’s economy.

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