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IDOT phase‑1 design will replace 9th Street Bridge deck; council hears data‑center interest at Star Innovation Park
Summary
City staff told the Lockport council that IDOT has signed a phase‑1 engineering contract to design a deck replacement for the Route 7/9th Street bridge, including a bicycle/pedestrian accommodation; council also discussed developer interest in the Star Innovation Park and tradeoffs between tax revenue and local jobs.
Lockport City staff reported that the Illinois Department of Transportation has executed a phase‑one engineering contract for the Route 7 (9th Street) bridge. Staff said the work is a deck replacement rather than a footprint or lane expansion and that IDOT’s current concept includes bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
Unidentified Speaker 6 summarized the IDOT update: "Illinois 7 Bridge proposed is, a bridge replacement, deck that would include a bicycle pedestrian accommodation." The mayor and staff said they plan to meet early with IDOT consultants to discuss design details, including the curve at Canal Road, and to advocate for pedestrian and bicycle connections where feasible.
Staff estimated the project likely would enter major contracting in the later half of IDOT’s letting window and suggested a practical in‑service timeframe in the 2029–2030 range; they also warned the project will require full lane closures and significant detours over alternatives such as the Des Plaines River Bridge or downtown Joliet crossings during construction.
Separately, council members and staff discussed increased developer interest at the Star Innovation Park (the former Chevron site), where data centers have been suggested as a potential reuse. Staff noted three principal approaches: allow unsolicited data center proposals immediately, issue a formal RFP to solicit a range of uses, or await inclusion in Intersect Illinois’s vetted‑sites RFIs — a process that could take multiple years. Council members acknowledged data centers may provide strong property‑tax revenue but fewer local jobs, making the decision a policy tradeoff for TIF priorities.
Council directed staff to engage consultants, continue Intersect Illinois coordination and report back with options that align with the city’s master plan and TIF goals.
