St. Charles Wins National Honors for Red Gate Bridge

The city of St. Charles will receive a national award in August honoring the Red Gate Bridge, which opened to vehicles in mid-December and already is seeing traffic of more than 7,000 vehicles a day.

Mayor Donald DeWitte on Friday confirmed the city had been singled out for honors by the national American Public Works Association, which named the Red Gate Bridge its “Project of the Year” in its “Transportation” category for projects costing between $5 million and $25 million.

DeWitte said it likely is the first time the city has received national recogntition of this kind.

The award is scheduled to be presented to the city on Aug. 26, during a ceremony in Chicago in conjunction with the American Public Works Association’s 2013 International Public Works Congress and Exposition.

Construction of the $30 million Red Gate Bridge began in August 2011. City officials note the bridge was completed on time and within budget, and opened to vehicle traffic on Dec. 15, 2012.

The final portion of the project, completion of a pedestrian/cyclist bridge beneath the main bridge deck, is nearing completion. City officials had hoped to hold a ribbon-cutting for that part of the project in early May, but heavy rains and the ensuing flooding that began April 18, 2013, has delayed the completion.

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