The new Kimball Street bridge won’t be fancy. It’ll be a simple, traditional design with numerous improvements that’ll make motorists happy.
Residents had a chance to review the design during a recent public information meeting on the $34.8 million bridge replacement project.
“We looked at a lot of alternative designs, non-traditional bridges for what you see in this area. We did this not necessarily expecting we would build a landmark bridge or signature bridge, but we wanted to explore it,” said Mike Pubentz, public services director, who was on hand to answer questions at the meeting.
Some of the alternative designs didn’t fit the area or were expensive, Pubentz said.
“What you’ll see is what you call a traditional bridge. A girder bridge on piers with a concrete bridge deck on top,” Pubentz said. “What we will focus on is trying to add some unique features like lighting and pedestrian overlooks,” he said.
The Kimball Street bridge carries 20,000 vehicles across the Fox River daily. The latest inspections have shown the bridge is safe but needs to be replaced.
The bridge’s reconstruction includes improvements like new lane configurations.
An additional westbound right turn lane on Kimball Street to northbound Route 31 will be added, and the roadway will be realigned with Laurence Avenue. A sidewalk will be added on the north side of the bridge.
Unique lighting and pedestrian overviews of the Fox River are also included, Pubentz said.
As part of the project, a new Fox River Trail underpass will be built. Kimball Street doesn’t have a designated signalized crossing for the trail. Anyone using it has to cross the busy street to get to the other side of the trail.
Pubentz said the city has completed 70% of Phase I. Phase I, in part, consists of engineering, environmental studies, and public meetings. One of the final steps in that phase is getting final design approval from the city council.
“We will be starting Phase II design in 2026,” Pubentz said. Phase II involves more details and preparations to go out for bids.
Overall, the project is going smoothly, Pubentz said.
The feedback the city is getting from residents has been positive, he said. People have had questions about certain elements of the project, like how the new railroad crossing will look, Pubentz said.
“There seems to be an interest in the underpass for the Fox River Trail,” Pubentz said. “It’s been received pretty well when we tell people we are going to add that. It’s a nice amenity.”
Residents have a chance to share their comments at cityofelginbridges.org until Dec. 12.
The city is also doing Phase I engineering for the East Chicago Street bridge replacement at the same time. Construction on the Kimball Street bridge is set for 2028. Construction on the Chicago Street bridge is set for 2029.
