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| Name | WSOR Rockport Road Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #A-538 |
| Built By | Janesville & Southeastern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | State of Wisconsin (Operated by Wisconsin & Southern Railroad) |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York (Lassig Plant) |
| Length | 41 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1901, Rehabilitated 2014 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | A-538 |
| Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Bridge Number | A-538 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/14/2014; 3/20/2022 |
In 1878, the Libertyville Railway began grading on 3 miles of new railroad, extending from Rondout, Illinois to Fox Lake, Illinois. The railroad would become part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) the same year. The Milwaukee Road would complete the short branch in 1881. At Rondout, the line connected to the existing Milwaukee Road mainline between Chicago and Milwaukee. In 1900, the Milwaukee Road desired to extend the line to connect to Janesville, Wisconsin. In 1900, subsidiary Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties Railway (CLMC), constructed 29 miles between Libertyville and the Wisconsin State Line near Hebron. The same year, another subsidiary, the Janesville & Southeastern Railway, constructed an additional 35 miles into Janesville. The two railroads were merged into the Milwaukee Road in 1901.
This line served as a connection between the mainline at Rondout and other Milwaukee Road lines at Janesville, providing a more direct route from southwest Wisconsin into Chicago. By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad
in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines primarily in
the Midwest. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble,
especially after the
costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company
declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul
and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Throughout the 20th Century, conditions on the Milwaukee Road continued
to deteriorate. The railroad entered bankruptcy in 1977, and was forced
to liquidate unprofitable lines. The line from Janesville to Fox Lake was sold to Wisconsin & Southern Railroad in 1980. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo
Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the
Milwaukee Road in 1986. CP merged with
Kansas City Southern
Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. Today, CPKC continues to operate a short segment of this line between Rondout and Fox Lake; while Wisconsin & Southern operates the route from Janesville to Fox Lake. Metra offers a commuter service, the Milwaukee North District, from Rondout to Fox Lake.
Located in Janesville, this deck plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) line over Rockport Road. To facilitate the construction of this bridge and approach embankments, a long temporary trestle was initially constructed from the south side of the Rock River to a point near Racine Street. Throughout late 1900 and early 1901, work on filling the trestle and constructing permanent bridges was carried out. The present deck plate girder bridge was completed at this location in 1901. Currently, the bridge consists of a 41-foot deck plate girder span, set onto tall concrete abutments and constructed at a heavy skew. The superstructure uses a standard design, with two heavy girders and a ballast deck constructed of parallel I-beams covered by a sheet metal deck. The substructures use a unique design, with large rectangular walls underneath the superstructure, and unusual wing walls which extend at different angles to accommodate the unusual skew of the structure. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure at their Lassig Plant in Chicago, Illinois; while employees of the Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department completed the substructures. Work on the bridge was carried out under the direction of Assistant Engineer Albert Reichman, while the bridge was designed by Onward Bates, Engineer and Superintendent of Bridges and Buildings. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Recent alterations to the bridge include the repair and encasement of the abutments, which was completed in 2014. 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 | The Engineering Record; Volume 44 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |