Chicago awarded $144M to improve four bridges over the Calumet River

CHICAGO - A multi-million dollar project to rehab four bridges over the Calumet River will ensure they remain operational for years to come.

The $144 million grant is part of President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, and will allow significant repairs to four crucial bridges, including the 95th Street bridge.

Vice President Kamala Harris, along with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other local leaders, announced the Calumet River bridges project Wednesday at Crowley’s Yacht Yard.

The bridges that will undergo repairs lift over 5,000 times a year and handle roughly 40,000 vehicle crossings a day.

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"Millions of Americans who have never heard of this bridge, and will never cross it, rely on products like meat and eggs that cargo ships bring across it," Harris said.

"The Calumet River bridges project aims to not only support regional and national connectivity but also to enhance local access and economic vitality, and really friends, this means jobs, jobs, jobs," Lightfoot said.

Under the project, the 92nd Street bridge will also be rehabilitated, along with the bridges at 100th and 106th streets.

Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure will be also be upgraded as part of the project, including the installation of nearly 3,000 feet of new sidewalk.