Custer Park Trail Bridge

Located near the small town of Custer Park, this large through truss bridge carries the former Wabash Railroad over the Kankakee River. The first bridge at this location was built in 1879, and consisted of four 150-foot, 8-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss spans, set onto stone substructures. These spans were constructed by Rust & Coolidge of Chicago, and were lightweight iron spans. By the turn of the 20th Century, this bridge had become too light for traffic, and would be replaced with a new through truss bridge. The new bridge would consist of four 6-panel spans of the same design, reusing stone substructures from the previous bridge. Two spans from the old bridge were reused at Pontiac, Illinois, and the other two spans were likely reused at another location. The spans at Pontiac were embargoed due to weight restrictions in 1973, and were scrapped in 1980. On August 22, 1968; a loaded freight train derailed on the bridge, destroying the northern span. A new through girder span was installed later that year, giving the bridge its current configuration.

Currently, the bridge consists of three 150-foot, 6-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss spans, and a 150-foot through plate girder span. With the exception of the northern pier, which was rebuilt with concrete in 1968, all substructures of the bridge are constructed of stone. The truss spans are heavily constructed, using a heavily constructed floor and a combination of built-up and solid members. In addition, the portal bracing of the truss spans uses a solid crested design, which was used at a handful of locations along the Wabash system. The through girder span uses a heavy design, including a ballast deck floor, rounded girder ends and a combination of riveted and welded connections. It is believed that this span may have been fabricated for an Interstate-era grade separation, but was instead reused here to reopen the line after the derailment. Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company fabricated the truss spans, while an unknown contractor fabricated the girder. The substructures were built by two different unknown contractors. Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company was a prominent Midwest bridge fabricator, but did not do significant work for the Wabash. It is believed that this company likely offered a better price for this specific crossing, as the spans had to be custom designed to reuse the old substructures.

Pratt truss spans were the most common truss design for railroad spans in the 19th Century, as the design was economical, durable and easy to construct. Through girder spans became were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. By the mid-20th Century, these spans were being constructed at greater lengths with heavier and stronger girders. The 150-foot girder span seen on this bridge appears to be among the larger spans constructed during this era, using massive girders and a heavily constructed floor. Since the 1968 reconstruction, the bridge has seen few changes. Additional steel was added at some truss members to help strengthen the bridge. Today, the bridge carries the Wauponsee Glacial Trail, and is a landmark in the area. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.