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Abandoned Leaf River Arch

Abandoned Stone Arch Bridge over Leaf River
Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Abandoned Leaf River Arch
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Private Owner
Length 24 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 12 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Stone Arch
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1851
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status Abandoned
IC Bridge Number 924.4
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date March 2015


Located north of Forreston, this large stone arch bridge crosses the Leaf River.
Built in 1851 during the initial construction of this route, the bridge features a single stone arch span. This span is of standard design.
While Illinois doesn't have a ton of very old stone arches, the Illinois Central built numerous arches of this type between 1850 and 1855, making these some of the oldest remaining arches in the state.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in excellent condition. These arches are notable for the exceptional durability they demonstrate.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the old age.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Illinois Central 1973 track profile
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele