By 1877, the railroad became part of the Rock Island and Peoria Railway. In turn, it was purchased by the Rock Island Railroad in 1908.
Because the RI had a line between the mainline and Peoria (along the Illinois River), this line lost importance.
The line was abandoned almost entirely by 1970, as the Rock Island began to fade away. The line was in turn purchased by the State of Illinois.
In 1990, the line was converted to a trail between Peoria and Toulon, a distance of 26 miles.
The trail is popular, crossing through many farm fields and woodlands, including a massive bridge over the Spoon River.
The trail is currently known as the Rock Island Trail.
06/26/21
Located west of Wyoming, this large truss and girder bridge crosses the Spoon River.
Built in 1899 as part of a line change, the bridge consists of three spans. The main span of the bridge is a large 6-panel riveted Warren Through Truss. This span is approached by three deck girder spans and trestle approaches on the east end.
The bridge largely sits on stone and steel caisson substructures, although concrete and timber substructures were also noted on the bridge.
The truss is an early example of a riveted Warren Through Truss for railroad use. In addition, the steel caisson piers on the east approach are unusual.
Today, the bridge is a part of the Rock Island Trail. Upon conversion to a trail, it clearly was rehabilitated and painted.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with little major deterioration.
The author has ranked the bridge as beng moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | UP Spoon River Bridge |
| Downstream | Dahinda Rail Bridge |