BNSF IL Route 116 Bridge

Located on the east side of Media, this steel stringer bridge carries the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway mainline over Illinois Route 116. It is believed that the first crossing at this location was a grade crossing. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings (now Illinois Department of Transportation) began a program to construct grade separations at the intersection of busy railroad lines and state highways. These grade crossings were not only safety hazard, but were also delaying automobile travel. In 1934, a 32-foot steel stringer bridge was constructed at this location, set onto concrete abutments. The bridge would be constructed for two tracks, and utilize a ballast deck, typical of grade separation structures. Abutments of the bridge use a square shape, with wingwalls extending at a large angle from the structure. The superstructure was fabricated by the American Bridge Company, while the substructure was constructed by an unknown contractor. Railroad records call this specific bridge a "Carnegie Beam" bridge. These types of spans were popular with railroads throughout the United States, as they were durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.