Joe Page Bridge Rehabilitation

The Joe Page Bridge stands tall along the sparsely populated reaches of the Great River Road Highway 100. The vertical lift bridge over the Illinois River allows for the safe passage of river traffic and barges in tow. But given the bridge’s continuous wear and tear since being constructed in 1930, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) needed a solution to extend the life of the much relied-upon structure. 

Modjeski and Masters (M&M) began by performing an in-depth inspection, including an evaluation of the mechanical and electrical components of the lift span. Using the inspection findings, our engineers developed a Bridge Condition Report consisting of an Inspection Report, a Ratings Report and a Rehabilitation Recommendations Report. During the project's next phase, our technical staff developed structural, mechanical and electrical rehabilitation plans to extend the life of the structure approximately 15 to 20 years. This included numerous structural steel repairs, retrofitting and encasement of approach span piers, removal and replacement of the lift span grid deck, and cleaning and painting of all structural steel. Major mechanical improvements included the replacement of lift span wire ropes and trunnion rehabilitation. Our innovative electrical engineers also designed a new, state-of-the-art bridge operators house featuring a closed circuit television system to improve the tender’s overall vision of river activity and roadway traffic. Throughout construction, M&M provided technical assistance and final field-balancing of the lift span.