CN Salt Creek Bridge (Weedman)

Located along Illinois Route 54 near the small town of Weedman, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Illinois Central Railroad over Salt Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber truss or trestle bridge. In 1915, the bridge would be reconstructed with the present bridge. The bridge consists of a 60-foot through plate girder span, approached by two 14-foot concrete slab spans on the south end and four spans of the same design on the north end. The entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures. The girder span was originally fabricated in 1899 by American Bridge Works, and was originally used at Bridge #381.45; likely located in Mississippi. This span utilizes a standard Illinois Central design, including a standard floor and rounded girder edges. Abutments of the bridge also utilize a standard Illinois Central design, with a stepped wing wall design, which extends perpendicular to the tracks. Through plate girder spans were popular with railroads, as they provided a durable and easy to construct design. The concrete slab approaches were also popular with many railroads, as they were durable, inexpensive and easy to construct. These spans could be constructed offsite, and installed with minimal interruption to traffic. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted to the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.