KANKAKEE COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM Newsradio) – The final federal permit has been issued for the removal of the long-closed State Line Bridge over the Kankakee River.
The Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission said the $2.5 million project is expected to begin this fall and be completed by December.
The 1926 bridge has been closed for nearly 30 years. Officials say its low clearance allows logs and other debris to collect beneath it, obstructing floodwater and creating drainage concerns for nearby farms.
Crews plan to use two cranes positioned on opposite sides of the river to remove the bridge. It will then be dismantled piece by piece, with each section labeled and stored.
Officials said the bridge’s historic features will be preserved so it could eventually be rebuilt at another location.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Indiana officials helped finalize a preservation agreement that allowed the flood-control project to move forward.
