Исполняющая обязанности мэра Рокфорда предупредила о критическом состоянии моста на 15-й авеню

ROCKFORD, Ill. (Rockford News First) - In her second full week in office, Acting Mayor Janessa Neal shares with Rockford News First what she’s keeping an eye on ahead of Tuesday’s city council meeting. In the past week, Neal says she’s learned more about the city’s daily operations as a whole, attended community events and met with residents. This week, Neal plans to meet with all department heads to really dive into regular operations and learn the overall goals and objectives the city set for the year. Ahead of Tuesday’s city council meeting, Neal shares one agenda item to keep an eye on - construction on the 15th Avenue bridge. “I’m told that when city staff went out and did their routine inspection, that bridge was actually looking at a lifespan of less than five years,” she explained. “And I don’t know about you, but when we get into the single digits on a bridge being able to withstand everything that we put through it, I feel like it’s time for some changes there.” The mayor expresses excitement that federal and state dollars will go towards the construction. “The city is paying nothing for construction. So, we actually got a $2 million federal grant for this bridge and a $17 million state grant for the reconstruction of this bridge, which just happened to be the largest statewide grant awarded last year for this project,” Neal said. She shares details of the renovation, which includes a complete removal and replacement of the bridge. “It’s also going to be keeping its original 1930s design railings with new engineering standards that are going to be including going from 7 piers to five piers,” described Neal. “And so, I’m excited to be able to get this done because that could definitely be a public safety issue. And this bridge is anticipated to also have the same 100-year lifespan than the current bridge that is there.” Mayor Neal adds all of this work is expected to begin in the spring of 2027 and be completed in 2028. She warns that construction may cause some inconvenience for the public but the details of what that entails will be shared at a later date. Previous RNF coverage of 15th Avenue bridge renovations.