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South Elgin Rail Bridge

Warren Deck Truss Bridge over Fox River
South Elgin, Kane County, Illinois

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Name South Elgin Rail Bridge
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 527 Feet Total, 87 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 35 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Warren Deck Truss
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1921
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
CN Bridge Number 38.9
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date July 2015


This massive deck truss towers above the Fox River, alongside Stearns Road.
Built in 1921, this bridge was constructed to replace a lighter deck truss bridge.
Currently, the bridge features six massive riveted 5-panel Warren Deck Truss spans, set onto stone substructures.
The entire bridge is heavily built, with the stone piers and steel superstructure standing massively across the river.
It is unknown when the piers were built, but it seems likely that they would've been constructed around the 1880s.
The trusses appear to be in fair condition, and retain a high level of historical integrity. The bridge however is hard to access, although it can be accessed from the ball fields near the Trolly Museum.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.

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

Fox River Railroad Bridges
Upstream Elgin Rail Bridge (South)
Downstream AE&FRE Fox River Bridge

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Illinois Central 1944 Track Profile
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele