CN Sangamon River Bridge (Spaulding)

Located along Illinois Route 54 southwest of Spaulding, this large deck plate girder bridge carries the former Illinois Central Railroad over the Sangamon River. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle. It is unknown if this bridge was later upgraded with a steel bridge. In 1923, the Illinois Central decided to construct a second track between Barclay and Springfield, rebuilding the existing bridges. The current bridge was constructed in 1923, and consists of one 100-foot, eight 75-foot and one 69-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The girder spans use a standard design, including heavy girders and a heavy bracing. The concrete substructures appear to have been constructed as part of the same project, but joints indicate that the bridge was constructed one half at a time. According to railroad records, the southbound (west) track was completed in 1923, while the northbound (east) track was completed in 1924. American Bridge Company fabricated all the steel bridge spans, and the J.C. Lynch Construction Company was awarded the contract for constructing the concrete substructures. This type of bridge was popular for railroad use, as it was durable and easy to construct. The east track was removed from the bridge in the late 1960s. It is unknown if the bridge spans were reused, as railroads often left an unused track intact unless there was a reason to remove the spans. 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.