$1.6 million grant awarded to City of Blue Island for Chatham Street Bridge

Phase III of the Chatham Street Bridge got a major boost recently when the City of Blue Island was awarded a $1.6 million grant as part of the federal Surface Transportation Program (“STP”).

The federal funds will be used to complete the third phase of what has been a multi-phase project to make sidewalk, lighting, landscaping, and other improvements along the entire Chatham Street Bridge.

The STP grant will pay for Phase III of the Chatham Street Bridge Project, which will include the bridge being transformed into a pedestrian-only bridge rather than it’s previous use for cars. This grant will also allow street resurfacing, drainage improvements, new sidewalks, pedestrian-friendly lighting, benches, an observation deck, and a variety of landscaping upgrades. Work on Phase III of the project is expected to begin in the spring of 2016 with a completion date set for fall of 2016.