Located in Bartonville, this large through truss bridge dominates the surrounding area.
Built in 1913 as the Chicago & North Western extended their empire towards St. Louis, the bridge features five massive riveted Quadrangular Through Trusses. These trusses run at a heavy skew, and sit on concrete substructures.
Multiple span bridges are rather uncommon. The area under this bridge was clearly expected to be a large rail yard. However, 1939 aerial photos show the railroads taking up approximately the same area as in 2017.
Another unique feature of the bridge is the piers. Because of the unusual angle the bridge runs at, the piers consist of two individual concrete columns. These are connected by a built up component that closely resembles a deck plate girder.
Today, the bridge continues to serve traffic, although only one track is still active.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Like many bridges along this route, the steel has begun to show signs of age.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual multiple span structure.
The photo above is an overview.