During Monday night’s special meeting of the Vandalia City Council, Mayor Rick Gottman addressed the issue of the continued closure of the Thrill Hill Road bridge. The matter was brought up during discussion at last week’s council meeting as part of the concern by residents of the south Vandalia Lake area voiced in a letter read before the council during discussion of a Fayette Water Company project in the area. Mayor Gottman explained on Monday night that when the bridge was first deemed unsafe and was closed by the Illinois Department of Transportation, the city was not in a financial position to immediately re-build the bridge.
And, Mayor Gottman went on to explain that the process to get the bridge work done is a long one with many moving parts.
And, Mayor Gottman expressing that if the current I-DOT process was not a factor, the city would like to have seen the project already completed.
The Mayor then wrapped up by reiterating that the city does care about the residents in that area and will continue to do their best to take care of the roads and bridges within the city but would do so as financially possible as the city would not spend outside of their means.