The pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Fox River on the northern edge of downtown Aurora will be closed until late fall, the city announced Wednesday.
The bridge is being closed because construction is set to begin on the RiverEdge Park expansion project, and a “vast amount of construction work” is planned for the east landing of the bridge, city officials said in the announcement posted to the city’s website.
The $16 million expansion project is expected to include a new backstage, a new entry on the southern edge of the park, a new beverage pavilion, a new VIP section and new restrooms, according to past reporting. The renovations will also increase the park’s capacity, which is currently about 7,300 for events and 6,500 for concerts, by about 2,500 people.
RiverEdge Park is a city-owned outdoor live music and events venue along North Broadway and the Fox River on the northern edge of downtown. The pedestrian bridge crosses over the Fox River and connects the park, along with the nearby Aurora Transportation Center, to Wilder Park on the river’s west bank.
Last summer, the Aurora City Council approved the first of several contracts for the RiverEdge Park expansion project. The $4.1 million contract was with R.C. Wegman of Aurora and designated the company as the project’s construction manager, according to past reporting.
The city’s plan at that time was to start work on the backstage as soon as the RiverEdge season ended in September and be done when Christkindlmarket was ready to start in late November. Renovations to the rest of the park, including the new entry gate on the south end, the beverage pavilion and restrooms, was to pick back up this month.
The new south-end entryway to be constructed will let people into the park from Broadway or the pedestrian bridge.
Aurora City Council last month approved the sale of $40 million in general obligation bonds for a number of capital projects across the city, including the RiverEdge Park expansion. The expansion project was also included in the $759.6 million city budget for 2025, the largest city budget ever.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
