The Monticello City Council has taken only the most preliminary of steps, but the city might in the future own a bridge.

The council voted at its January 23 meeting to sign a letter of intent with the Illinois Department of Transportation indicating interest in taking ownership of the bridge over old Route 47.
The bridge is currently a dead end and closed to traffic, and the city would not be opening it to public use.

The Illinois Department of Transportation had at one time put the bridge on a list of those to be demolished, which would then leave the city without access to the quarry property, City Supervisor Floyd Allsop told the council. The condition of the bridge is deteriorating and IDOT has been consistently reducing the weight limits for the bridge.

At some point, the limit will be set so low, the city will not be able to use it to access the quarry property, Allsop said.

IDOT has offered to transfer the jurisdiction of the bridge to the city and deposit a yet-to-be determined amount of money in a Motor Fuel Tax account for the city to use to repair the bridge.

“We can do (the repair) cheaper than IDOT,” Allsop said. The amount for that repair can be negotiated and the city can at any time decline to take jurisdiction of the bridge, Allsop said. He said that he expects the negotiated amount would be about $1 million more than the cost to the city to repair the bridge, leaving money for other road projects in the city.

“We will have a bridge, but if it’s closed off (to traffic), there’s no reason to salt it – a bridge killer – it would have no heavy truck traffic and that bridge will last longer than anyone in this room,” Allsop said. “Given that, I’m not afraid to take on this project.”

The city is not obligated to do any work on the bridge until the money is in the special account, Allsop said. He also said that the state is making funding these kinds of projects and transfers a high priority.
The transfer of jurisdiction would not be complete until the money is actually in the account, Allsop said.

“If the state sees the account, and the project is done and there is money left, can they go through appropriations (and take it back),” said Alderman Kevin Hiller.

“Before we sign anything, I would make sure that can’t happen,” Allsop said.

Allsop also told the council that the city “Inherited Bridge Street and Market Street and didn’t get anything for it. With this, we’ll get something,” he said.

Alderman Terry Cummings asked if the city gets the money after the work is done.
“No, we get the money first,” Allsop said.

The board voted unanimously to sign the letter of intent. Allsop told Alderman he would come back to the board with the jurisdictional transfer once the financial details are ironed out.