Lake Forest Starts Lake and Woodbine Bridge Demolition

On Monday, Jan. 12, after more than a decade of planning, the City of Lake Forest started the process to demolish and rebuild the historic Lake and Woodbine bridge, located at the intersection of Lake Rd. and Woodbine Ln.

The existing bridge was estimated to have been built in 1912 and has a three-span concrete barrel design with each arch filled with sand.

“Obviously, the construction methods have changed now, so we’re doing a slightly different bridge,” said Lake Forest Superintendent of Engineering Byron Kutz. “[The bridge] will still mimic that arch in that aesthetic, but instead it will be a single arch in what we call a spandrel arch.”

Planning for the Lake and Woodbine bridge initially started in 2012 after officials identified that the bridge was deteriorating to the point where it would need replacement. The project – the majority of which is federally funded – was required to follow the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) three-phase process.

Phase one (2012–2024) of the project included evaluations of the road and environment, data collection and coordination with the City’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in order to ensure that the bridge’s design would complement the surrounding historic district. Phase two (2023–2025) consisted of engineers developing plans for the new bridge, which were then reviewed and subsequently approved by IDOT and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Phase three (Jan.–Sept. 2026) will undertake the reconstruction of the bridge.

Initially, the project was about $1.3 to $1.4 million over the available budget, delaying phase three and pushing construction back from 2025 to 2026. In April 2025, the City of Lake Forest received a second grant, covering the additional cost of construction. The total budget is now $4.7 million, with $3.7 million in grant funding and the City covering the remaining $1 million. Lake Forest resident Kate Goddu, who lives at 975 Lake Rd., expressed appreciation that the construction is finally underway.

“After several false starts and delays over the past several years, we’re happy to see the demolition in process and look forward to seeing the new bridge that was carefully designed to meet all required specifications while maintaining the historical architectural design of the original Lake Road bridge,” Goddu said.

Throughout the design process, the City of Lake Forest hosted several public meetings to discuss the bridge construction and gather input from residents in terms of aesthetics for the bridge. The City’s main goals were to mimic the feel of the original arches and maintain the bridge’s openness in order to allow residents to see the ravine and help sunlight reach the vegetation below. With the additional help of an architect on the team, Kutz says the design process was made easier.

“[The architect] really understood all the architectural elements that go into the design,” said Kutz. “Having that architect on the structural design team was really important.”

Despite the Lake and Woodbine bridge demanding numerous resources and extensive effort, it is not the sole bridge undergoing work. With a budget of $2.2 million, the McLennon Reed bridge, located near the intersection of Lake Rd. and Spruce Ave., requires a complete rehabilitation. Although construction on the McLennon Reed bridge is expected to begin later in April 2026, the City of Lake Forest determined that in order to limit impacts on traffic in the neighborhood, they would work on both bridges during the same construction season.

“We’re aiming for mid-September for what we call a substantial completion, which basically means the Lake and Woodbine bridge can be opened. The next couple of weeks after that, the contractor will do restoration and cleanup, finishing sometime in late September, early October,” Kutz said.

The McLennon Reed bridge is anticipated to be completed around the same time.

“My hope for these projects is that at the end of the day, the residents will be happy for nice bridges, and the bridges will be done on time and with no issues,” said Lead Project Manager Bernard Pondexter.

Street access around both bridges will be limited during the duration of the construction with detour signage posted nearby. Although this may be inconvenient for residents, Kutz assures residents that the City of Lake Forest is there to listen. Hugh Gilgunn, the Resident Engineer for the project, receives all complaints and concerns from residents relating to either bridge. He emphasizes that if someone has an issue, they should simply contact him.

“We’re all just trying to get [the bridges] done– safe and on time,” Gilgunn said. “They’re something different and exciting; they’re going to look great.”