A press release from the McHenry County Department of Transportation:

Hill Road Bridge Closed Beginning January 31, 2012

WOODSTOCK, IL – The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) will close the Hill Road Bridge over North Branch Nippersink Creek just east of the Village of Richmond in Richmond Township.

Approaching the Nippersink Lilbrary from the west will not be a choice with the closing of the Hill Road Bridge.

The closure is due to a loss of structural integrity of several bridge deck beams and significant pile deterioration. Local residents are advised to use US 12/ IL 31 south to US 12 the east to North Solon Road then north as the recommended detour.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation is currently in Phase II design working towards the actual bridge replacement.  The duration of the closure is indefinite at this point in time; however, the bridge has been programmed for replacement in the McHenry County Division of Transportation’s Five Year Highway Improvement Program.

Inspections are accomplished on a routine basis and intermittently on all County Highway bridges throughout McHenry County. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) sets the inspection interval. The MCDOT is responsible for overseeing these inspections and reporting them to the IDOT District 1.

The Hill Road Bridge is located east of Richmond village limits east of the public library. Hill Road has its western terminus at US 12/IL 31 and its eastern terminus at North Solon Road.