Madison County provides updates on Lebanon Road, Hosto Bridge projects
By Randy Pierce • Updates on a pair of bridge projects near Troy, one within months of completion and the other in the design stage, were provided at a meeting of the Madison County Board Transportation Committee held on July 1.
As shared with the committee, chaired by Bobby Ross of St. Jacob, by Adam Walden, county highway department engineer, he anticipated that within days of the meeting, approval of structural girders by the IDOT for a bridge connected with the upgrading of Lebanon Road was forthcoming while the contractor at the site, Keller Construction Inc. of Glen Carbon, had been doing some other overnight work, when recent temperatures were not as high and difficult to contend with as during daylight hours, installing a big slope walls at this location, pouring these near the CSX Railroad track crossing over the road.
“That’s a new one for us,” Walden commented. “having engineers work overnight.”
The applicable section of Lebanon Road, this segment totally blocked off beyond both ends where the work is occurring and not visible from the detour route due to a heavy growth of trees, which is being improved, as a result of a partnership involving the county, Collinsville Township and IDOT, goes from two-tenths of a mile east of Clay School Road to a point a half-mile west of Longhi Road.
Lebanon Road runs in a northeasterly direction from Illinois Route 159 in Collinsville along an area which is generally south of the City of Troy toward Troy-O’Fallon Road.
Another piece of information reported to the transportation committee by Walden, a resolution was passed, to be considered for final approval by the full county board at its regular monthly meeting on July 15, to call for a supplemental agreement concerning the engineering services provided for the design of the Hosto Bridge over Wendell Branch on Maple Grove Road in Pin Oak Township.
This agreement, Walden said, adds a minimal amount of expense to the original contract for the design and involves right-of-way in the area of the Hosto Bridge which is north of and slightly to the east of Troy.
Walden had previously told the committee that this bridge, located on the north side of Interstate 55, has reached a point where it needs to be removed so a new one can be put in its place.
This project additionally has a safety aspect to it in that there is a steep roadway hill on one side of the bridge which will be “shaved off” to make it slightly flatter for motorists going in that direction.
Additionally brought forward by Walden at the July 1 meeting of the transportation committee was a purchase request, which was approved, for the repair of a highway department vehicle by Truck Centers Inc. of Troy that had been damaged during some ditch work, bending the frame, shearing off an extension on the front end and damaging framework needed for a snowplow attachment.
This “hefty bill” as he described it, was the only reasonable option for addressing the problems on this 2025 Freightliner truck because without such attention, “the resale value would be horrible” and there is a need to put it back into service as soon as possible.
