UPDATE: Bridge Work Set To Start Next Week On Four Mile Project

Bridge building will begin on the project next week, said Mike Hayek, the village engineer.

The project is meant to ease traffic congestion along the railroad tracks on Four Mile Road just west of Douglas Avenue and has been in the works since 2005. The underpass project was initiated because of a $2 billion expansion, which was completed in January.

Progress has been made on the project, but the scheduled open date is now planned for July 2013. The road was originally closed in October 2011 and was set to complete by the end of this year.

The project was delayed because the scope of the project had to be changed to include two bridges instead of one. They've also reduced the track shift from three to two.

Hayek said Union Pacific Railroad workers completed the switch on Monday and right now they are de-stressing the new rail this week.

"Similar to a concrete road in hot weather, de-stressing is needed to remove potential heat buckling. This is done by cutting out a one inch piece of the new rail after it is connected to the old main rail and re-welding," he stated in an email.

Workers from Volkmann Railroad Builders will remove the old mainline track.

Willkomm Excavating is scheduled to come in on Monday to start excavation. Zenith Tech will put the crane to work, starting with the shoring on Wednesday and then the bridge work begins.