Abandoned Rooks Creek Bridge

Located south of Pontiac, this abandoned concrete arch bridge once carried the Bloomington, Pontiac & Joliet Electric Railway over Rooks Creek. In September 1909, a contract was awarded to Burnham & Ives by the BP&J for the construction of three concrete bridges between Pontiac and Chenoa, including a large structure at Rooks Creek. During 1910, the bridges were constructed and the line graded, although tracks were never installed and the project abandoned. The bridge at Rooks Creek consists of four 60-foot concrete arch spans, set onto concrete substructures. The bridge runs at a slight skew, due to the angle at which the structure crosses the creek. These arches use a shallow design, with a thin arch line. At the center of each span, the arch is only approximately 18 inches thick, exceptionally light for even an interurban bridge. Typical of interurban bridges from the era, the bridge is constructed of reinforced concrete. Concrete arch spans were popular with interurbans, as they were durable and easy to construct. It is unknown if the bridge was complete, and it appears that the northern spans may never have been finished. Overall, the bridge is in poor condition, with significant deterioration noted throughout the bridge. Large sections of the walls have fallen off, and the earth fill on span #2 has completely disappeared. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the design and history of the bridge.