Located in Byron, this large through truss bridge crosses the Rock River on a heavy skew.
The original bridge at this location was built in 1882, and consisted of a pin connected Pratt Through Truss. In 1897, a second track was added to the north on a new alignment using a similar bridge of five 160-foot spans.
In 1905, the original 1882 span had become too light for traffic, and was replaced with a bridge parallel to the 1897 span. As a result, the present southern (eastbound) spans were installed. These spans consisted of five heavily skewed 6-panel pin connected Pratt Through Trusses of similar design to the 1897 bridge. For the most part, these followed a standard Milwaukee Road design. The original 1882 bridge was then removed, and reused elsewhere. Two spans from this bridge are believed to still exist.
In 1928-29, the 1897 spans had become too light for traffic and were replaced with the present riveted Warren Through Trusses. Heavily built, these spans were designed without lacing, but instead had built up beams with simple plates. These spans consisted of nine panels and repeated the heavy skew. The 1897 spans were believed to have been reused elsewhere as well, where four are believed to still exist.
Today, the 1905 and 1929 spans are still in existence, although the 1905 spans have been taken out of service. The 1905 spans rest on concrete substructures while the 1929 spans rest on original 1897 substructures.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. Both spans appear to have little serious deterioration.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique truss designs, as well as the extensive history at this location.
The photo above is an overview with the eastbound spans in front. The photo below is details of the portal of the 1905 span.
| Upstream | CN Rock River Bridge |
| Downstream | DM&E Rock River Bridge |
