Located in the town of LaSalle, this massive bridge crosses the Illinois River.
The original bridge here was a deck truss bridge, which was replaced in 1896 with another deck truss bridge. This new bridge consisted of 13 spans of 7-panel pin connected Pratt Deck Truss, a swing span of the same design, and approach trestles.
The north approach was replaced with a pair of deck plate girder spans to cross Rockwell Road. The south approach was replaced in 1933, along with the main span. The new main span was built in 1932, and consists of a 10-panel riveted Parker Through Truss span, to conform to navigation standards.
Most of the bridge rests on stone substructures, which have been repaired with concrete. This location also once contained another bridge, a large lift bridge of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, which crossed at an angle under this bridge. That bridge was removed in 1980.
Currently, the bridge serves as a spur to a cement plant in Oglesby. The bridge is very visible from nearby Interstate 39.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, and will be fit for train operations for the near future. The author stresses caution however in visiting the bridge, as poisonous snakes are known to reside near the bridge.
Historic photo of the bridge
The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the detailed history and older truss spans.
The photo above is an overview. The photos below are of the Historic American Engineering Record.
| Upstream | Ottawa Lift Bridge |
| Downstream | CB&Q Illinois River Bridge |
| Upstream | Utica Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | CB&Q I&M Canal Bridge |
