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Joliet Junction Trail Bridge

Through Plate Girder Swing Bridge over CSX Railroad
Rockdale, Will County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Joliet Junction Trail Bridge
Built By Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Will County
Length 130 Feet Total, 70 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 25 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Steel Tower and Concrete
Date Built 1906
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date December 2018


Located along Larkin Avenue (IL-7), this through girder bridge carries the Joliet Junction Trail over the CSX main line.
Built in 1906, the bridge consists of three spans of through plate girder, set onto concrete and steel substructures.
When first built, the bridge was constructed to carry the EJ&E Rockdale Branch over the Rock Island. The Rockdale Branch has since become part of the Joliet Junction Trail.
Spans like these are commonly used to cross railroads and roads, as they are durable and easy to construct.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no major deterioration noted. The bridge was recently rehabilitated in 2017.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Historic article
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele