Des Plaines River Valley Bridge, Road bridge in Lemont, Illinois, US.
The Des Plaines River Valley Bridge is a road bridge in Lemont that spans 1.3 miles and crosses multiple waterways including the Des Plaines River and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The structure carries six lanes of traffic between Interstate 55 and Interstate 80, connecting Cook and Will counties across this water passage system.
The bridge opened in 2007 when the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority completed the Interstate 355 South Extension project. This concrete structure represented a major infrastructure development for the region connecting Cook and Will counties.
The bridge received official designation as Veterans Memorial Bridge, with commemorative plaques mounted on square pillars at north and south entrances.
The bridge is best viewed from vantage points along nearby roads and waterways rather than from the bridge itself. Visitors can access surrounding areas to observe the structure and waterways, though parking options near the bridge are limited.
The bridge was specifically designed with height restrictions to protect the habitat and flight paths of the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, an endangered species living beneath the structure. This kind of ecological consideration in such a large infrastructure project is quite uncommon.
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