logo

CSX Eastern Avenue Bridge (Joliet)

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Eastern Avenue
Joliet, Will County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CSX Eastern Avenue Bridge (Joliet)
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Built By Michigan Central Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By CSX Railroad
Length 80 Feet Total, 40 Foot Main Span
Width 3 Tracks, 2 In Use
Height Above Ground 13 Feet 6 Inches
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Steel Tower and Concrete
Date Built 1909
Traffic Count 80 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date July 2018


Located in the city of Joliet, this girder bridge crosses Eastern Avenue at the intersection of Washington Street.
Built in 1909, the bridge features three spans of through plate girder, set onto concrete and steel substructures. The bridge has a ballasted deck and built up pier members.
The only major upgrade to the bridge was the replacement of the northern (Rock Island) spans in the early 2000s with a very similar design.
Structures like these were common for grade separations, as they were easy to construct and were fairly cheap.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition. This historic segment of the bridge has also been rehabilitated with new paint and slight fixes.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Track elevation through area
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele