Politics & Government

Obama's 'Fix it First' Program Highlights Failing Bridges in U.S., Area

Find out which bridges in the Crystal Lake and Cary area are labeled as "structurally deficient."

President Barack Obama proposed Tuesday night a "Fix It First" program to address the nation's crumbling infrastructure—like roads and bridges—in an effort to improve citizens' quality of life and bring jobs to the United States.

There are nearly 70,000 "structurally deficient" bridges throughout the United States that require "significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement," according to the Transportation for America website. 

In Illinois, 8.5 percent of the state's bridges are "structurally deficient." The state is ranked 35th worst nationally for the overall quality of its bridges, according to the Transportation for America website. 

Find out what's happening in Crystal Lake-Carywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Locally, there are a handful of bridges that are highlighted as structurally deficient on the Transportation for America website. The good news is that many of the more heavily traveled bridges that fit that criteria have been fixed or will be fixed soon, according to information gathered by Patch.com. 

Below is information on some of those bridges and culverts: 

Find out what's happening in Crystal Lake-Carywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • The bridge over the Kishwaukee River on Route 47 in Huntley. The bridge was slated to be replaced with a new culvert as part of a Route 47 reconstruction project, according to Huntley Patch. The bridge was originally built in 1936 and 15,200 cars travel over it daily. 
  • The culvert over the Ratt Creek Tributary on Edgewood Road in Algonquin. As part of an Edgewood Road reconstruction project, the box culvert over the Ratt Creek Tributary was replaced as was the deck. Abutments to the structure over Ratt Creek were also repaired, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation website. The structure was originally built in 1953 and 5,700 cars travel over it daily. 
  • The bridge over Flint Creek in Lake Barrington. The bridge is scheduled for replacement this year, according to the Illinois DOT. The bridge was built in 1968 and 509 cars per day travel over it. 
  • The bridge over the Fox River Inlet on Edwards Road in Fox River Grove. The bridge was built in 1900 and an average of 275 card travel it daily. 
  • A culvert on Jessie Drive over Crystal Creek in Lake in the Hills. The village of Lake in the Hills has received federal funding to fix the bridge, according to minutes from a LITH Village Board meeting on Aug. 7, 2012. 
  • The bridge on Lakeview Drive over Island Lake in Island Lake. The bridge was built in 1975 and 509 cars cross it each day. 

Tell us in the comments' section: Which bridges and roads do you think NEED to be fixed in the area? 


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