St. Charles Railroad Bridge

Located near Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles, this large deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago Great Western Railway across the Fox River. In 1852, the Chicago, St. Charles & Mississippi Air Line Railway graded a line between Chicago and St. Charles, constructing stone piers and abutments for a bridge across the Fox River. Funding quickly ran out before work could progress west of the Fox River, and no rail was ever laid. The right-of-way would be abandoned, and revert to the adjacent landowners. The stonework stood unused for 35 years until the Minnesota & Northwestern Railway charted a new line through St. Charles, deciding to reuse the stone piers. Work on the bridge commenced in late 1886, and the crossing opened to traffic in the summer of 1887. An unknown contractor fabricated the ironwork for the bridge. The first bridge at this location consisted of three 132-foot, 7-panel pin-connected Pratt deck trusses, approached by a 35-foot deck plate girder span on either side. These light truss spans used typical features for the era, including light members, laced vertical members and inclined endposts. Vertical bents were constructed at the piers to hold the plate girder stringers over the endposts. Repairs were made to the bridge in the early 20th Century, which included encasing the stone substructures in concrete and strengthening the superstructure. By 1956, the original structure had become too light for traffic, and would be replaced by the current structure.

Work on the current structure began in August 1956, with work completed in early January 1957. During construction, it was critical to keep the crossing open to traffic. Concrete for new piers would be pumped from the shores, and new deck girders installed within the original trusses. The floorbeams of the trusses were removed piece by piece, and the new girders installed within the trusses. After the girders were completed, the trusses were then cut up and removed. The current bridge consists of six 66-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by a 40-foot deck girder on either side. The piers of the bridge consist of steel bents, set onto concrete and stone bases. Bents over the original stone piers use two bents, set parallel to each other. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, and John P. Abrahamson Construction Company completed the concrete work.

Since the 1957 completion, the bridge has remained largely unchanged. Prefabricated pedestrian truss spans were added to the north side of the bridge in approximately 2000, and the piers were altered to hold these spans. In the early 2000s, the bridge would be abandoned, and has sat unused since. The future of this structure is currently unknown. Portions of the former CGW west and east of St. Charles are currently used as the Great Western Trail, a popular rail-trail in the area. It is likely that this bridge, and the railroad line through St. Charles will eventually become part of the trail. Property records indicate that the bridge is currently owned by Union Pacific Railroad, although it is unknown if negotiations have occurred to acquire the right-of-way. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, and continues to be well maintained. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and newer age.