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| Name | CN Yellow Creek Drive Bridge Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #W-111.7 |
| Built By | Illinois Central Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian National Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Fort Pitt Bridge Works of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 49 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 12 Feet 2 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1911 |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Illinois Central Railroad Bridge Number | W-111.7 |
| Canadian National Railway Bridge Number | 111.7 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/28/2015 |
In 1851, the State of Illinois authorized the construction of a series
of railroad lines, extending from Cairo, Illinois; located on the Ohio
River, to the Mississippi River at East Dubuque, Illinois and to
Chicago, Illinois. The State awarded the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) with the land necessary
to construct the new lines. Surveys began in 1851, and the first
segments were completed by 1853. The northwestern section connected Freeport, Illinois to East Dubuque, Illinois. Construction was completed on this segment in 1855, and the line would later be extended across Iowa with a bridge over the Mississippi River to Dubuque in 1868. In 1890, the Chicago, Madison & Northern Railroad (CM&N), a subsidiary of the IC, constructed 102 miles of new railroad between Chicago and Freeport, Illinois; linking Chicago with the IC lines in northern Illinois. This served as an important connection for the IC, improving access to Chicago for the railroad. Due to heavy use, the section from Chicago to Broadview would be double tracked by 1895. The CM&N would be operated under lease by the IC until 1903, when it was consolidated into the IC. In the 20th Century, the IC was a respected railroad, operating an extensive railroad network through the central United States. This line served as a mainline for the IC, connecting lines in Iowa to Chicago. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad
(GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). This line, as well as the entire IC system in Iowa, was sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC&P) in 1995. In 1988, the ICG
was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1995, the CC&P was repurchased by IC and in 1998, IC was
purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN). Today, CN operates the Freeport Subdivision between Broadview and Freeport, and the portion between Freeport and Dubuque is part of the Dubuque Subdivision.
Located on the east side of Freeport, this through girder bridge carries the former Illinois Central Railroad over Yellow Creek Drive, formerly US Route 20. Built in 1911, the bridge consists of a 49-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. Due to the geometry of the road at this location, the bridge was constructed at a significant skew. The superstructure utilizes a ballast deck, which was constructed by encasing the floor system in concrete. The abutments of the bridge utilize a standard design, including stepped wing walls which extend parallel to the roadway. Fort Pitt Bridge Works fabricated the superstructure, while the substructure was either constructed by company forces or by an unknown contractor. This type of bridge became popular in the early 20th Century, as solid floors helped to reduce overall maintenance costs of the structure. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Illinois Central Railroad Valuation Engineering Field Notes at the National Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |