06/26/21
The bridge crossing the Fox River at Carpentersville, Illinois should be considered one of the most significant truss bridges in the State of Illinois.
Much of the history of the bridge is unknown. The crossings here originate to the early 1900s, although this span did not appear here until 1924.
Judging by the design of the span and missing plaque, the bridge was constructed between 1879 and 1882 by Leighton Bridge & Iron Works. Leighton was the first major builder of this design of truss, and used an arched pedimented portal bracing.
It is believed the span was originally constructed in Wisconsin or Minnesota, before being moved to a crossing of the White River near Glen, Nebraska. It is unknown when the move occurred, or if it was moved before.
In 1924, the truss was moved here. I-Beams were also added along with a long curved trestle to approach the structure. The entire bridge rests on wooden substructures.
Currently, the bridge retains the highly historic riveted Quadrangular Through Truss. Unfortunately, the beam spans have collapsed into the river. The bridge will inevitably need to be removed, and the author is afraid that the highly significant truss span will instead be scrapped.
Fortunately, a petition and talks have begun to move or preserve the bridge. The author believes a couple of different options may be viable. One suggestion would be to store the truss offsite until a permanent location could be found. The other option would be to remove the trestle and leave the truss as a fishing pier and add new piers to it.
Without immediate attention, this bridge is in trouble. The collapsed spans are failing worse and worse every day, and the pier supporting the truss is beginning to fail.
Overall, the bridge is in bad condition. Immediate attention is needed to preserve this bridge and prevent a full structural failiure.
The author has ranked this bridge as being nationally significant, due to the unique truss design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Algonqiun Trail Bridge |
| Downstream | Elgin Rail Bridge (North) |