The Oak Park skyline will look different in years to come after village officials approved a design for the Home Avenue pedestrian bridge, which is due to be replaced in 2029 or 2030.
The Oak Park Village Board voted Sept 1 to move forward with a $15.2 million bridge concept, the most expensive and tallest of three options presented in July to officials and community members.
Board members voted 6-1 for the bridge design with Trustee James Taglia casting the lone vote against it.
The chosen design calls for a bridge standing 84 feet tall at its highest point — a support arch that will be able to be seen from surrounding neighborhoods, as well as thousands of motorists passing underneath on Interstate 290.
Village President Vicki Scaman said the design would help Oak Park showcase its artistic nature.
“We’re a community that’s known for our arts, but as I’ve said before when talking about tourism, we really haven’t sold ourselves as a community that’s known for the arts other than Frank Lloyd Wright,” she said. “But we’re much more than Frank Lloyd Wright.”
The village has been working with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. and architects Rosales + Partners Inc. on the potential designs for the new Home Avenue Bridge, which ranged in cost from $9.8 million to 12.5 million. The chosen option will end up costing an estimated $15.2 after maintenance is factored in.
In dissenting, Taglia said the design was his least favorite of the three proposals and “looks a little pretentious,” comparing it to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
More Top Picks Bocce Balls
“It seems a bit overstated and a bit much coming from Oak Park,” he said.
During an open house in July showcasing the three bridge design options, an Oak Park resident also said the giant arch didn’t fit the character of the village.
But in materials outlining the proposals, planners said “it will become an iconic symbol of the area” and would also include aesthetic lighting.
Oak Park village engineer Bill McKenna said the main differences between the three designs were their aesthetic and user experience.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is committed to replacing the bridge, Mckenna said in July, and the state could contribute anywhere from $8 to 10 million toward the project.
Trustee Brian Straw said the new, 300-foot long bridge will be an improvement to the community.
“This approach is a massive improvement and will be a great safety improvement for young people who use this to get to school,” Straw said.
Oak Park residents who attended the July open house were all in agreement that the current bridge had to go.
“It’s an ugly bridge,” one resident said. “It’s all rusty and I can’t tell you how many times they’ve had to fill up potholes and put in better lighting.”
Besides Interstate 290, the bridge spans the CTA Blue Line and the CSX railroad corridor and is being replaced due to aging infrastructure, as well as to improve bicycle and pedestrian accessibility, improve visibility and connectivity and meet current ADA accessibility requirements, officials said at the meeting. The bridge must also be replaced to accommodate future Interstate 290 expansion plans, they said.
Construction on the bridge could start in 2029, if things move quickly as possible, but 2030 was more realistic, McKenna said.
Scaman said the community, the board and planning committee all agreed on the concept that was eventually chosen.
“We know that this entire corridor is going to benefit from this investment,” Scaman said.
More Top Picks Best Budget Microwave Ovens