Photos: New Renwick Road Bridge Opens with Fanfare

The project was decades in the making. On Friday, Plainfield Township's new two-lane bridge opened.

Residents and local officials gathered Friday morning to mark the end of the project that was years in the making as the new Renwick Road bridge opened to cars for the very first time. Plainfield Township Highway Commissioner Sam Reichert said the date — Oct. 19 — was significant: it marked exactly one year since construction began on the two-lane bridge. The new bridge will replace the century-old one-lane bridge, which closed to vehicle traffic immediately following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new bridge. Residents got to see the completed bridge for the very first time, and took some time to bike or stroll along the structure before it opened to vehicle traffic.  The $7.4 million bridge is more than 623 feet long and 30 feet wide, …

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oldschool

10:48 pm on Saturday, January 19, 2013

3 months later...best Patch comment ever!   more ›

Minivan Hits Tree, Boulder in Late-Night Crash

A woman was taken to St. Joe’s in Joliet following the one-car accident at Drauden and Renwick roads early Monday morning.

Updated Oct. 5: The driver has been charged with DUI as a result of this incident. READ: Woman Charged with DUI After Crash. Original story: A minivan plowed through the traffic circle at Drauden and Renwick roads and struck a large rock late Sunday night, sending the driver to the hospital. Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton said the woman was taken to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet for observation following the accident, which happened shortly before midnight Sunday. She was listed in good condition, Stratton said.  According to Stratton, the minivan stuck the boulder and moved it 10 to 15 feet. “She hit the boulder and took out a tree,” he said. Plainfield police did not return a call for more information from …

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One Hurt in Crash Involving Mail Truck

Accident happened early Tuesday afternoon at County Line and Renwick/Wheeler roads.

No serious injuries were reported in a crash involving a mail truck and two other vehicles Tuesday at County Line and Renwick/Wheeler roads. Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton said one person went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the crash. The accident was reported at 12:43 p.m., Stratton said. Tuesday’s crash happened just more than a mile from the site of a fatal accident on Route 126 on Monday. That crash occurred between Ridge and County Line roads when a vehicle crossed the center line, striking a box truck and causing the box truck to hit a second vehicle. One person was reported dead following the crash Monday. State police, who continue to investigate the accident, have not released any further …

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Renwick Closed at CN Railroad Crossing

The closure, about 1.5 miles east of Route 59, is needed so Canadian National can make improvements to the crossing.

Renwick Road is closed at the railroad crossing 1.5 miles east of Route 59 to allow Canadian National Railway to make improvements. The closure will continue through April 27, according to a news release issued by Plainfield's Public Works Department. CN is upgrading the crossing and making drainage improvements, the release said.

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3 Taken to Area Hospitals Following Rear-End Collision

All of the injuries were minor, Plainfield Fire Protection District. Lt. Brian Joseph said, but U.S. 30 had to be temporarily closed because of the pile-up.

A three car fender-bender on westbound U.S. 30 near Renwick Road sent three people to the hospital with minor injuries Monday night. Lt. Brian Joseph of the Plainfield Fire Protection District said the accident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. when a driver rear-ended another vehichle, pushing that vehicle into a third one. "It was just a typical reaction-type accident," Joseph said. "It looked worse than it actually was." In part, that was because three Plainfield ambulances were required to transport two people to Edward Plainfield Medical Campus' ER Center and one to Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. There were also four squad cars, two fire trucks and three Plainfield Emergency Management Agency vehicles on site, called out when …

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Repair, Resurfacing Work Begins on Several Village Roads This Month

The largest project call for the resurfacing of stretches of Route 126 and U.S. 30, according to the village.

State and local road work projects begin this month. No long-term road closures are expected. Work includes: For more information, call 815-436-3577.

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About Town

Renwick Bridge, River Road Widening Work Could Begin This Fall

Plainfield Township and IDOT are close to striking a deal to buy the last property needed for the $9 million road and bridge facelift, officials said.

Engineers hope to break ground on the $9 million River Road widening and Renwick Road Bridge projects yet this fall. That’s what project engineer Roger Wright, of Hutchinson Engineering, said in a brief telephone interview with Plainfield Patch. The Illinois Department of Transportation hopes to receive bids by August and get construction under way on the facelift for Renwick Road between River and Drauden Road by October, he said. “We would like to have contractors working onsite by this fall,” Wright said. The Plainfield Township Highway Department recently purchased property at 15836 S. River Road from Donald L. Johnson, trustee of the Donald L. Johnson Trust, for $355,000, according to information from attorney Jean Kenol. The Johnson …

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Plainfield Township to Post Curve Sign on River Road to Curb Accidents

Residents have long complained about the danger posed by the bend in River Road near Renwick, particularly since there is no warning to drivers.

Look for new road signs warning drivers about “The Curve.”  The sharp turn on River Road, just north of Renwick Road, has been a hazard for decades. There were three accidents there over the course of a couple of hours a week ago Thursday after just a light dusting of snow, neighbors report. Plainfield Township highway officials have ordered a new directional arrow curve sign and one posting the speed limit at 15 miles per hour.  The new signs should be installed next week, highway department secretary Mary Domanus said.

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About Town

Drivers Beware: Watch Yourself at U.S. 30 and Renwick Intersection

Red light cameras have been in place since January, but signs alerting you to their presence are now in place.

Forgot all about the red light cameras at the corner of U.S. 30 and Renwick Road, didn't you? Although they've been in place since January, signs letting you know they're there have just recently gone up. You'll see one as you head west on U.S. 30 and another right at the intersection. That means any traffic violation you commit there, such as making an illegal turn or going through a red light, will be captured for posterity -- something you'll find out about when the ticket arrives in the mail. This intersection is one of two to have cameras keeping an eye on the action. The other is at 135th Street and Route 59. There will be a third installed next summer, at the corner of Route 59 and Main Street, once the Route 59 road widening work …

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