IR Waubonsie Creek Bridge

Located in Oswego, this steel stringer bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad over Waubonsie Creek. It is believed that the previous bridge at this location was a timber pile trestle. In 1948, the original bridge would be replaced by the current structure. The bridge consists of a 40-foot steel stringer span, approached by a 20-foot timber stringer span on the south and two 19-foot timber stringer spans on the north. With the exception of the north abutment, all substructures are constructed of concrete. The north abutment uses a typical timber pile design. Vierling Steel Works fabricated the main span, while the remainder of the structure is believed to have been constructed by railroad company forces. Steel stringer spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable, cost effective and easy to construct. It is somewhat unusual to use timber stringers set onto concrete substructures, although this design may have been chosen to minimize costs. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few if any alterations. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.