CN Oakland Avenue Bridge (Decatur)

Name	CN Oakland Avenue Bridge (Decatur) Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #B-74.7
Built By	Illinois Central Railroad
Currently Owned By	Canadian National Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Company of Decatur, Illinois
Substructure Contractor	Cope & Fisher of Decatur, Illinois
Length	106 Feet Total, 53 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	14 Feet 1 Inches
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete and Steel Bent
Date Built	1934
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Illinois Central Railroad Bridge Number	B-74.7
Canadian National Railway Bridge Number	74.7
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/21/2023

In 1869, the Pekin, Lincoln and Decatur Railway (PL&D) began construction on a new railroad line, extending 67 miles from Decatur, Illinois to Pekin, Illinois. The railroad completed the line in 1871. In 1872, the Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon Railroad (DS&M) constructed an additional 40 miles of railroad from Decatur to Mattoon, Illinois. The PL&D and DS&M became part of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway (PD&E) in 1879. The PD&E owned a handful of railroads in Illinois and Indiana. By 1900, the PD&E was bankrupt, and the line would be sold to Illinois Central Railroad (IC). This line formed the northern portion of the Peoria to Evansville line for the IC, connecting to IC mainlines at Decatur and Mattoon. By the 20th Century, the IC was a respected railroad, operating an extensive railroad network through the central United States. This line continued to serve as a secondary line for the IC, mainly connecting other IC lines and larger cities in central Illinois. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN), the current owner of the line. Today, CN continues to operate the Peoria Subdivision between Decatur and Pekin, where it has trackage rights into Peoria.

Located on the northwest side of Decatur, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Illinois Central Railroad over Illinois Route 48 (Oakland Avenue). Prior to the construction of this bridge, a grade crossing existed at this location. By the early 1930s, railroad and automobile had increased, and the crossing was considered a hazard. In 1932, the City of Decatur and the IC began plans to construct a grade separation at this location. Work progressed throughout 1934, and the bridge was opened that year. Currently, the bridge consists of two 53-foot through plate girder spans, set onto concrete abutments and s steel bent pier. The bridge runs at a significant skew, and uses a ballast deck constructed of parallel I-beams. Girders of the bridge use a standard design, and are heavily constructed with square ends. Local contractor Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Company fabricated the superstructure, while another local contractor, Cope & Fisher, constructed the substructure. Deck plate girder bridges were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen little changes. 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.

Citations

Build date	Illinois Central Gulf Illinois Division 1978 Track Profile
Builder (superstructure)	Decatur Herald and Review; November 16, 1934
Builder (substructure)	The Decatur Herald and Review; April 21, 1934
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

CN Oakland Avenue Bridge (Decatur)

Decatur, Macon County, Illinois