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Bartonville Rail Crossing

Quadrangular Through Truss Bridge over Sanitation Road and Railroad Yards
Bartonville, Peoria County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Bartonville Rail Crossing
Built By St. Louis, Peoria & North Western Railway
Contractor (Superstructure) King Bridge Company of Cleveland
Contractor (Substructure) Cleary-White Construction Company of Chicago
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 632 Feet Total, 120 Foot Spans
Width 2 Tracks, 1 In USe
Height Above Ground 25 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Quadrangular Through Truss
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1913
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
UP Bridge Number 81.82
C&NW Bridge Number 1709
Significance Regional Significance
Documentation Date April 2017
A brief history of the Chicago & North Western route to St. Louis:


12/23/21


Located in Bartonville, this large through truss bridge dominates the surrounding area.
Built in 1913 as the Chicago & North Western extended their empire towards St. Louis, the bridge features five massive riveted Quadrangular Through Trusses. These trusses run at a heavy skew, and sit on concrete substructures.
Multiple span bridges are rather uncommon. The area under this bridge was clearly expected to be a large rail yard. However, 1939 aerial photos show the railroads taking up approximately the same area as in 2017.
Another unique feature of the bridge is the piers. Because of the unusual angle the bridge runs at, the piers consist of two individual concrete columns. These are connected by a built up component that closely resembles a deck plate girder.
Today, the bridge continues to serve traffic, although only one track is still active.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Like many bridges along this route, the steel has begun to show signs of age.

The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual multiple span structure.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Chicago & North Western Railway Historical Society Archives
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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