NS Eldorado Street Bridge (Decatur)

Located on the west side of Decatur, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Wabash Railroad over US Route 36 (West Eldorado Street). Little is known about the history of the current structure. Prior to 1895, a grade crossing existed at this location. As railroad traffic increased in the late 19th Century, this grade crossing proved to be a hazard for the public, and the City of Decatur worked with the Wabash Railroad to construct an underpass at this location. The first underpass was completed in late 1895, and consisted of three deck plate girder spans, set onto stone abutments and steel bents. This structure was constructed by an unknown contractor, and the stone abutments constructed by railroad company forces. As part of the construction of the nearby West Main-Oakland underpasses in 1937, it is believed that the bridge was reconstructed with the current structure. Newspaper articles indicate that the bridge was shifted to a new alignment during construction, possibly indicating the girder span was constructed prior to 1937. Other sources suggest that a previous bridge was replaced during the N&W era by the current structure.

Currently, the bridge consists of an 84-foot through plate girder span, set onto stone and concrete abutments. As part of the 1937 work, additional concrete was added to the stone abutments, to allow for the new alignment of the bridge. The main span of the bridge uses a typical design for the era, including heavily constructed girders, a center girder line, a traditionally composed floor covered by a wooden deck and rounded girder ends. An unidentified plaque is located on the northeast corner of this bridge, and it is unknown what contractor fabricated the superstructure. Cope & Fisher, which had the contract for the West Main-Oakland project is believed to have reconstructed the substructures. Through plate girder spans were often used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. As trains became heavier and bridge technology improved, significantly larger spans were constructed. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and unknown history.