- 1836: Galena and Chicago Union Railroad charted between Chicago and Galena, Illinois
- 1849: 11 miles completed from West Chicago to Elgin, Illinois by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
- 1852: 52 miles completed from Elgin to Rockford, Illinois by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
- 1853: 28 miles completed from Rockford to Freeport, Illinois by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
- 1864: G&CU consolidated with the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1972: Winnebago to Freeport segment abandoned
- 1981: Rockford to Winnebago segment abandoned
- 1980s: Rockford to Freeport segment purchased by Commonwealth Edison
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Belvidere Subdivision from West Chicago to Rockford
- 2010-Present: Pecatonica Prairie Path gradually developed on Rockford to Freeport segment
07/17/21
Located in Elgin beneath US-20, this large deck girder bridge is the southern of the two crossings of the Fox River at this location.
The bridge was built in 1912, likely to replace an older truss bridge. The bridge consists of five spans of deck plate girder, set onto concrete substructures. The bridge has been noticeably raised, although it is unknown when this work was done.
Large deck girder bridges like this are common, as they were cheap and easy to build.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the structure.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Elgin Rail Bridge (North) |
| Downstream | South Elgin Rail Bridge |