Pekin Railroad Bridge over the Illinois River

This bridge crosses the Illinois River at Pekin, Illinois. Builder was the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Construction date was 1912.

The bridge type was a metal 7 panel pin-connected Pratt through truss movable vertical lift (tower drive) and approach spans: metal 9 panel rivet-connected lattice Quadruple Warren through truss fixed. Main span was 175 feet. Structure length was 1508 feet.

The bridge has one track. It was used by the Chicago and North Western and the UnionPacific.

Pekin Railroad Bridge

Control House Pekin Railroad Bridge

Pekin Railroad Bridge

BNSF Beardstown Bridge

This bridge crosses the Illinois River near Beardstown

The original bridge was built in 1869. It was a swing bridge. This bridge was modified. It is currently a through truss vertical lift bridge. It has one track. The longest span is 300 feet. The bridge is currently used by BNSF. In the past, it was used by CBQ.

Beardstown Railroad Bridge

Beardstown Railroad Bridge

Beardstown Railroad Bridge

KCS Illinois River Bridge

This bridge crosses the Illinois River near the small town of Pearl. It was built in 1902. The bridge description is polygonal Warren through truss type. In 1978, the bridge was modified to add a lift span. The contractor was American Bridge Company of New York.

There is one track. Length is 1180 feet. Main span is 425 feet.

The following railroads used this bridge at various times: Chicago and Alton, Gateway Western, Kansas City Southern.

Pearl Railroad Bridge

Pearl Railroad Bridge

Depue Swing Bridge

This was a railroad bridge over the Illinois River near DePue. The bridge type was a Lost Polygonal Warren through swing bridge. It was built by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company of Milwaukee. It was 360 feet in length. Deck width was 120 feet.

De Pue Swing Bridge

DePue Swing Bridge

Over the years, the bridge was used by the following railroads Chicago, Indiana, and Southern; Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul; Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa; New York Central, Penn Central, Streator and Clinton Railroad.

Henry Bridge

Henry Bridge crosses the Illinois River on IL 18. It was built in 1935. It is a steel bridge with 6 Pennsylvania Style through truss spans. Construction costs were $300,000.

Bridge length is 1719 feet. Longest span is 364 feet. The bridge width is 23 feet with 2 lanes.

Spring Valley Bridge Over the Illinois River

This bridge crossed the Illinois River on IL 89 south of Spring Valley. The bridge was built in 1934.

Bridge Plaque Date of Construction

The bridge was rehabbed in 1989.

Bridge Plaque Rehab Date

The bridge was demolished in 2018.

The bridge type was a Pennsylvania through truss.

Spring Valley Bridge

Spring Valley Bridge

Largest span was 364 feet. Total length was 1775.1 feet. Deck width was 22.6 feet.

In November, 2018, a new bridge was completed to replace the older one. It was named the Illinois Valley Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The new bridge is an 8 span structure with 9 foot tall girders. The length is 1800 feet. The width was 40 feet.

Illinois Valley Veterans Memorial Bridge

John T. McNaughton Bridge (Pekin Bridge)

Old Pekin Bridge Built in 1929

This bridge crosses the Illinois River on IL 9 in Pekin. It was built in 1982. It replaced a Strauss vertical lift bridge. This bridge was built in 1929. The current bridge is a steel girder type. Bridge length is 2634 feet. Largest span is 550 feet. Width is 78 feet–4 lanes.

Current Pekin Bridge

Current Pekin Bridge

The John McNaughton Bridge was named after a former Assistant Secretary of Defense.