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| Name | Future Sangamon Valley Trail - Old US-54 Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1881 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Sangamon County |
| Superstructure Contractor | King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio (Main Span) Unknown (North Approach) |
| Substructure Contractor | Cleary-White Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois |
| Length | 165 Feet Total, 89 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track, Substructures Built For 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Concrete Encased Beam |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1912, Extended 1923 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 1881 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/17/2024 |
In 1890, the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad (CP&StL) completed 44 miles of new railroad from Madison, Illinois to Litchfield, Illinois. The railroad became part of the Litchfield & Madison Railway (L&M) in 1900. In 1901, the Peoria & Northwestern Railway (P&NW) completed 83 miles of railroad, extending from the existing Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) mainline at Nelson, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois. The P&NW was a subsidiary of the C&NW, and would be fully absorbed by 1902. In 1904, the Macoupin County Railway (MCR) constructed an additional 24 miles from Benld, Illinois to Girard, Illinois. The MCR was acquired by the St. Louis, Peoria & Northwestern Railway (StLP&NW) in 1912. The StLP&NW was another C&NW subsidiary, and constructed an additional 93 miles from Kickapoo (Peoria) to Benld in 1913 before being sold to the C&NW. The same year, the Macoupin County Extension Railway (MCER) completed an additional 3 miles from Girard to Staunton, Illinois before being acquired by the C&NW in 1914. In 1927, the C&NW constructed an additional 2.5 miles to DeCamp, where the line met the L&M. The C&NW obtained trackage rights over the L&M to reach Madison at the same time. This route provided the C&NW with a direct source of quality coal, and connected to other railroads throughout southern Illinois.
The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest,
eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. The L&M would be acquired by the C&NW in 1957, and the C&NW would abandon the line from Mt. Olive to Litchfield in 1961, and from DeCamp to Mt. Olive in 1972. By the late 20th Century, this route slowly had lost importance. In 1995, the
C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). UP abandoned the line between DeCamp and Stallings in 1998, as well as the segment from Barr to Girard. In addition, the DeCamp to Monterey Junction segment was sold to the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1998. Today, UP operates the Peoria Subdivision between Nelson and Barr, and NS operates the Monterey Branch from Monterey Junction to DeCamp. Portions of the line near Springfield have become part of the Sangamon Valley Trail. When complete, the trail will connect Girard to Athens (Barr).
View historic articles discussing the construction of this line (digitalized by Internet Archive)
Located east of the the small town of Curran, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway over Old US Route 54 and the former Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad (CP&StL). During construction of this bridge, a large timber pile trestle was erected to cross both the Wabash Railroad and the CP&StL. This bridge used a scrap girder span to cross the CP&StL, and the trestle was gradually filled between 1911 and 1912. By 1912, permanent bridges would be installed at these locations. The bridge initially consisted of a through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. In 1923, the bridge was extended with two concrete encased beams to cross US Route 54, a newly commissioned road. The CP&StL was abandoned in the early 20th Century, and the roadway was realigned to cross under the girder span. Currently, the bridge consists of an 89-foot through plate girder span, approached by two 13-foot concrete encased beam spans. The entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures, and runs at a heavy skew. King Bridge Company fabricated the through girder span, while Cleary-White Construction Company constructed the substructures. An unknown contractor completed the north approach. The through girder span uses a standard C&NW design, consisting of a traditionally composed floor and rounded and tapered ends. The entire substructure was constructed for two tracks, although no second track was ever installed. The concrete spans appear to have been precast, and use a decorative paneling. Through girder spans were often used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Currently, the bridge sits abandoned, and will eventually be used as part of the Sangamon Valley Trail. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted to the superstructure. The original 1912 substructures appear to have some moderate spalling. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date (main span) | Chicago & North Western Valuation Notes at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives |
| Build date (approach) | Date stamp |
| Builder (substructure) | Railway Age Gazette; Volume 56 Issue 21 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |