Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) reopened the Kedzie Avenue Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal today, completing the reconstruction of this major commercial and industrial gateway.

“Critical infrastructure upgrades like this must be made to strengthen our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Emanuel. “A restored Kedzie bridge will provide improved access to the industrial and commercial areas of the Southwest Side that are a key to Chicago’s economy.”

The three-span fixed bridge, which was first built in 1909 and reconstructed in 1969, was completely restored with a new concrete roadway deck; repaired girders, floor beams and lateral bracing; and new sidewalks with fiberglass panels.

The project was completed entirely by CDOT employees, the first such in-house bridge reconstruction project in more than a decade.

The $5 million project, which was completed on time and on budget, is part of Building a New Chicago, a comprehensive $7.3 billion infrastructure renewal program put forward by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.