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Name	River Trail of Illinois - Unnamed Creek Bridge
Built By	Illinois Traction System
Currently Owned By	Fondulac Park District
Superstructure Contractor	Decatur Bridge Company of Decatur, Illinois
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	42 Feet Total
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1906
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic)
Current Status	Open to Pedestrian Traffic
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	4/2/2023

In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, interurban railroads began to develop throughout the United States. These electrified railroads were intended to provide efficient passenger service, generally to suburban or rural areas. At the same time, electrified street railways began to develop in larger cities throughout the United States. These trolleys provided service to passengers, primarily in urban areas. Champaign businessman William B. McKinley sought to join these two modes of transportation. McKinley desired to construct electrified railroad connecting major cities in central Illinois. The Illinois Traction System (ITC) was formed to develop this network. In 1905, subsidiariy Chicago, Bloomington & Decatur (CB&D) was created to construct a line between Decatur, Illinois and Bloomington, Illinois, and the line was completed in 1906. Between 1906 and 1907, subsidiary Peoria, Bloomington & Champaign Traction (PB&C) constructed a line between Bloomington and Peoria, Illinois, and the Peoria, Lincoln & Springfield Traction (PL&ST) constructed a line between Lincoln, Illinois and Mackinaw, Illinois; which opened in early 1908. The three railroads were later fully incorporated into the ITC.

The ITC saw unprecedented freight success along the system, and became the largest and most profitable interurban system in the United States. During the early and mid-20th Century, interurbans fell out of favor with the introduction of the automobile. In 1937, the railroad would be reorganized as the Illinois Terminal Railway. The railroad remained profitable long after many other interurbans had been abandoned. Post-World War II, the railroad remained profitable, comparable to regional sized railroads in the midwest. The IT would be acquired by nine larger railroads in 1956, with most of the system abandoned. Portions of this line remained in service through the 1970s. The ITC would become part of the Norfolk & Western Railway in 1982, which immediately became part of the Norfolk Southern Railway. Today, much of the ITC system has been abandoned, as has this line.

Located near Kerfoot Street in East Peoria, this small deck plate girder bridge carries the former Illinois Terminal Railroad over an unnamed creek. It is believed that this bridge was constructed in 1906, when the ITC reached East Peoria. The bridge consists of a 42-foot deck plate girder span, set onto concrete substructures. The deck girder utilizes a lighter than usual design, with light interior bracing and deep girders. Decatur Bridge Company constructed a majority of bridges for the ITC, and it is believed this company constructed this bridge as well. It is believed that an unknown contractor constructed the concrete abutments for this bridge. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, it appears that the bridge has seen few alterations, and no major repairs have been made to the structure. Currently, the bridge serves as part of the River Trail of Illinois, which reused a large portion of the former ITC right-of-way in East Peoria. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some cracking noted on the substructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Build date	Construction of line
Builder	Based on other spans along same line
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

River Trail of Illinois - Unnamed Creek Bridge

East Peoria, Tazewell County, Illinois