EDWARDSVILLE - Crews have installed a new bridge deck on Center Grove Road as part of an ongoing replacement project east of Esic Drive in Edwardsville, officials said.
The construction, which involves replacing a 35-year-old bridge over the Nickel Plate Trail, is progressing well and remains on schedule for completion before mid-August 2025, before the start of the school year.
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Edwardsville High School, Metro East Lutheran High School, and multiple businesses are located close to the bridge work, which makes it even more important to be completed by that deadline.
Keller Construction crews are working six to seven days a week to advance the project despite weather challenges. The trail beneath the bridge will be intermittently closed for safety but will remain open at times for public use.
The section of Center Grove Road east of Esic Drive, just past Edwardsville Township Park, is currently closed to all traffic while work continues.
The City of Edwardsville advised drivers to use Esic Drive and Governors’ Parkway to access Illinois Routes 157 and 159 as detours.
Edwardsville Township Park and the nearby business access road remain open, with local businesses such as Bronze Tan, The Experience, Casual Land Outdoor Furniture, and Public Storage continuing operations during construction.
When the bridge reopens, traffic will be reduced to two lanes, with the westbound lane shifting to the former center lane.
The previous westbound lane will be converted into a protected pedestrian lane to accommodate a future shared-use path. The original Center Grove Road and bridge, which first opened in January 1990 as a three-lane paved road, replaced an earlier two-lane oiled road.
