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| Name | UP County 700N Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1756 1/2 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 35 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 14 Feet 2 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1929 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 1756 1/2 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 98.41 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/7/2017 |
In 1890, the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad (CP&StL) completed 44 miles of new railroad from Madison, Illinois to Litchfield, Illinois. The railroad became part of the Litchfield & Madison Railway (L&M) in 1900. In 1901, the Peoria & Northwestern Railway (P&NW) completed 83 miles of railroad, extending from the existing Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) mainline at Nelson, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois. The P&NW was a subsidiary of the C&NW, and would be fully absorbed by 1902. In 1904, the Macoupin County Railway (MCR) constructed an additional 24 miles from Benld, Illinois to Girard, Illinois. The MCR was acquired by the St. Louis, Peoria & Northwestern Railway (StLP&NW) in 1912. The StLP&NW was another C&NW subsidiary, and constructed an additional 93 miles from Kickapoo (Peoria) to Benld in 1913 before being sold to the C&NW. The same year, the Macoupin County Extension Railway (MCER) completed an additional 3 miles from Girard to Staunton, Illinois before being acquired by the C&NW in 1914. In 1927, the C&NW constructed an additional 2.5 miles to DeCamp, where the line met the L&M. The C&NW obtained trackage rights over the L&M to reach Madison at the same time. This route provided the C&NW with a direct source of quality coal, and connected to other railroads throughout southern Illinois.
The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest,
eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. The L&M would be acquired by the C&NW in 1957, and the C&NW would abandon the line from Mt. Olive to Litchfield in 1961, and from DeCamp to Mt. Olive in 1972. By the late 20th Century, this route slowly had lost importance. In 1995, the
C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). UP abandoned the line between DeCamp and Stallings in 1998, as well as the segment from Barr to Girard. In addition, the DeCamp to Monterey Junction segment was sold to the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1998. Today, UP operates the Peoria Subdivision between Nelson and Barr, and NS operates the Monterey Branch from Monterey Junction to DeCamp. Portions of the line near Springfield have become part of the Sangamon Valley Trail. When complete, the trail will connect Girard to Athens (Barr).
View historic articles discussing the construction of this line (digitalized by Internet Archive)
Located along Illinois Route 29 north of Green Valley, this deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway over County Road 700N. The first bridge at this location was located immediately north of this structure, and consisted of a 40-foot deck plate girder span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. This bridge was constructed in 1912 when the line was first built, and the superstructure was fabricated by King Bridge Company. The bridge would be replaced with a steel stringer span in 1917, and the old span reused elsewhere. It is believed that the span eventually ended up as part of a bridge in South Beloit, Illinois. In 1929, it was decided to realign the roadway, and a new bridge was constructed. The bridge consists of a 35-foot deck plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The superstructure of the bridge was fabricated by the American Bridge Company, and the substructure was built by an unknown contractor. Typical of some bridges from the era, the superstructure consists of a shallow deck plate girder span, which uses four girder lines arranged in two sets of two. This type of span was popular for shorter spans where clearance underneath is limited. In addition, precast concrete deck panels were installed on the span. The concrete abutments were constructed for two tracks, although it is believed that a second track was never built. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen little change and the original deck panels are still in use. 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.
Citations
| Builder and build date | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |