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CN Culvert Road Bridge

Stone Arch Bridge over Culvert Road and White Oak Springs Creek
Scales Mound, Jo Daviess County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CN Culvert Road Bridge
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 16 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Stone Arch
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1853, Lined 1944
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
CN Bridge Number 155.6
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date April 2018


Located east of Scales Mound, this stone arch bridge crosses Culvert Road and White Oak Springs Creek. It was originally built to cross the creek, which now runs in a drain tile under the road.
Built in 1853 as an early stone arch in Illinois, this structure features a single stone arch span. The arch was lined in 1944, a repair which has held up.
East of the Mississippi, railroad bridges, particularly stone arches, dating to the 1850s aren't extremely rare, like they are west of the Mississippi River.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. However, deterioration may become an issue in the future, as trees grow on the structure. The original stonework is still visible on the structure.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the older age of the structure.
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