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| Name | CPKC Illinois River Bridge Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge #250.4 |
| Built By | Chicago & Alton Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown (1978 Spans) American Bridge Company of New York (1900 Spans) Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1913 Spans) |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 1170 Feet Total, 455 Foot Lift Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Polygonal Warren Through Truss, Warren Pony Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1900 (Spans #6-8) 1913 (Spans #4-5) 1978 (Spans #1-3) |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge Number | 250.4 |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Bridge Number | 250.4 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/19/2016 |
In 1868, the Louisiana & Mississippi River Railroad (L&MR) began construction on a 51 mile route, extending from the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Missouri to Mexico, Missouri. Simultaneously, the St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago Railroad (StLJ&C) was constructing 38 miles of new railroad, extending from Roodhouse, Illinois to Louisiana. The route would be completed in 1873 with the completion of the Mississippi River bridge, and would form an extension of the Chicago & Alton Railroad (C&A) system. The C&A constructed and financed the route, in agreement to lease the newly completed railroad. In 1878, construction began on an additional 157 miles to Bridge Junction in Kansas City, Missouri. The extension was constructed by the Kansas City, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad (KCStL&C) under the same agreement as the remainder of the line. The C&A had constructed a modest network of lines throughout Illinois, and this route provided a western extension to Kansas City. The StlJ&C was sold to the C&A in 1899. Throughout the years, the C&A would be affiliated with several
larger railroads, and the railroad primarily operated as a bridge
route. The C&A was reorganized in 1901, and until 1906 was owned by
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railway. A portion from Rock Creek to Bridge Junction in Kansas City was sold to the Kansas City Terminal Railway in 1916. In 1931, the C&A would be reorganized as the Alton Railroad (A), a subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Alton was sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) in 1949, and the various subsidiaries consolidated at that time. The GM&O merged with the Illinois Central Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) in 1972. This line was excess for the ICG, and the route would be sold to the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway (CM&W) in 1987. The CM&W was reorganized as the Gateway Western Railway in 1990, which became a subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) in 1997. In 2023, the KCS was merged with Canadian Pacific Railway to form CPKC, the current owner of this line. Today, the line serves as a secondary mainline for CPKC.
Located in Pearl, this large truss bridge once carried the C&A across the Illinois River. The first bridge at this location was constructed in 1870, and was an iron truss bridge, with a swing span. In 1886, the bridge was reconstructed with new truss spans. Further changes were made to the bridge in 1900, when one truss span was replaced with three pony truss spans on the west end of the bridge. The remainder of the bridge was replaced in 1913 with four additional pony truss spans, along with a 297-foot riveted through truss swing span and a 147-foot riveted through truss span. The last major reconstruction of the bridge occurred in 1978, when the swing span, through truss span and two pony truss spans were replaced, giving the bridge its current configuration.
Currently, the bridge consists of a 60-foot deck plate girder, a 455-foot, 12-panel, riveted polygonal Warren through truss vertical lift span, a 40-foot deck plate girder and five 117-foot, 8-panel, riveted Warren pony truss spans. The bridge is set onto a combination of stone and concrete substructures. The western three pony truss spans (spans #6-#8) were constructed by American Bridge Company in 1900, while the eastern two pony truss spans (spans #4 and #5) consist of a similar design, fabricated by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company in 1913. While the spans have similar designs, there are a number of differences, including within the bracing for the vertical members. The main lift span uses punch-plate style members, typical of truss spans from this era.
When the present bridge was constructed, spans from the previous bridge were reused elsewhere. At least one span was known to have been relocated to Minnesota for use along a short line railroad. It is likely other spans were reused or sold to other railroads. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique mix of spans.
Citations
| Build dates | Illinois Central Gulf Missouri Division 1979 Track Profile |
| Builder (1900 Spans) | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Builder (1913 spans) | Missing Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |