Belvidere bridges to get required inspection this spring

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

Six bridges located in the City of Belvidere will get their required inspections, sometime before June.

City Public Works Director Brent Anderson brought that information to aldermen during the Monday, Jan. 9 committee of the whole meeting at city hall.

Aldermen recommended approval of the cost, not to exceed $7,800, with the expenditure depending on time and materials. Hampton, Lenzini and Renwich, the Illinois Department of Transportation-approved bridge manager, will do the work.

Hourly rates for those involved with the inspections range from $63 to $208.

The bridges include: State Street, Newburg Road, Main Street, Appleton Road North, Appleton Road South, all over the Kishwaukee River; Squaw Prairie Road, over Beaver Creek; and culverts beneath Townhall Road.

“Underwater elements” of each bridge will be probed from the surface, according to a report from Director Anderson. Boats will be used to access the State Street and Main Street bridges.

Divers won’t be used until “the condition of the underwater elements is determined to need evaluation,” the report stated.

While discussing the upcoming inspections, aldermen turned their attention to the “Green Giant” bridge at the General Mills plant. The first question was one of responsibility.

“It’s a [Boone] county bridge,” Anderson said. “They’ve been looking at improvements to that bridge for several years.”

Alderman Ron Brooks said he frequently drives over that bridge and “there are all kinds of things going on there.”

County Engineer Justin Krohn said Wednesday, Jan. 11 the bridge is at the top of the county’s list as being in need of significant improvements.

While the substructure is in “excellent shape” for a bridge having been built in 1964, the surface is the problem area.

“The riding surface takes more wear, and that’s what the public sees,” he said.

He soon plans to issue requests for proposal for phases I and II of the engineering work, so there will be a set of plans when funding becomes available.

Right off the bat “the design restricts options for resurfacing,” he said. “We might consider replacing the beams and the deck.”

Also Monday, Jan. 9, the committee recommended that a “no parking” zone be established in the cul-de-sac at the end of Landmark Drive. Anderson said such action had been requested by Amercold, whose plant is located there.

He explained that the company complained about semis parking in that area. They met with Belvidere Police Chief Jan Noble, who was at the committee meeting.

In response, he said those parking in the cul-de-sac were the drivers who came to and from the plant. They had been advised not to park there, he said, so they were violating their own in-house rules.

Should the no parking zone ultimately be approved by city council, he said the restriction would be enforced on a complaint basis.

“So, where are they supposed to park?” Alderman Dan Snow asked.

Anderson said that according to a company employee, there’s plenty of room in that area for drivers to park.

Snow’s question about the cost of a ticket left the issue open to further discussion. He was told one was $12.50, which prompted Mayor Mike Chamberlain to say that fine was something that should be looked at.

Committee members voted unanimously to recommend designating the cul-de-sac as a no-parking zone.