Editor’s note: This article was updated Jan. 23 to clarify the Lucinda Avenue bridge is nearing the end of it’s life cycle and ready for an update.

DeKALB – The city of DeKalb has decided to close the Lucinda Avenue bridge for construction. A detour to the closed bridge has been reestablished.

Zachary Gill, the city engineer of DeKalb, said construction on the closed bridge is aimed to begin Wednesday. With a dependance on subcontractors availability and weather concerns, the goal is to begin working on the bridge by the end of the week.

The bridge will remain closed through June with a detour directing travelers to the College Avenue bridge. Pedestrian access will also be restricted during this time, according to a press release from the City of DeKalb.

The Lucinda Avenue bridge is nearing the end of it’s life cycle and ready for an update, Gill said.

“Once completed, the new Lucinda Avenue bridge will aesthetically mirror the College Avenue bridge,” according to the City of DeKalb’s press release.

Boone Elledge, a junior music education major, is not looking forward to the bridge closure as he crosses the bridge twice a week when going to Sycamore.

“If you live right across the bridge – like not too far – if you live in an apartment over in that place, then you’ll have to take a roundabout way to get to class instead of just going straight there,” Elledge said.

David Flowers, a senior computer science major, said he hopes construction on the Lucinda Avenue bridge will be completed quickly.

“It wasn’t as bad when Normal (Road) was still open,” Flowers said. “It is definitely going to be annoying now that that one’s closed too, because I will probably have to go through the Lagoon or all the way around to Annie Glidden.”

With the detour directing drivers to College Avenue, by the lagoon, Flowers said he worries about the area becoming congested.

“It’s not the end of the world that will make, you know, traveling over here,” Flowers said. “A little inconvenient for a while, but as long as they do it quickly, it’ll be whatever.”

At this time, Gill said he does not expect to see any weather delays, but it is not out of the question.

“It can always domino effect that, you know, if the third party can’t make their work then our contractor cannot start,” Gill said. “So, we’re waiting to see where they’re at with that process.”

Once the bridge has been taken down a clearer timeline can be established, according to Gill.

“Probably in the next 60 days or so we’ll be able to start to really refining that projection data,” Gill said.