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Bluff Hall Bridge

Adams County, Illinois
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Photos 

Side view

Photo taken by James Baughn

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Map 

Facts 

Overview
Pony truss bridge over Harkness Creek at Bluff Hall just off IL 57
Location
Adams County, Illinois
Status
Bridge Removed and Replaced with Concrete Culvert.
History
Built 1905; made obsolete by new bridge in 1941
Design
Pin-connected, 4-panel Pratt pony truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 41.0 ft.
Total length: 43.9 ft.
Deck width: 13.7 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.81748, -91.33963   (decimal degrees)
39°49'03" N, 91°20'23" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/642108/4408818 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Marblehead
Inventory numbers
IL 001-3220 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 14981 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 11/2007)
Deck condition rating: Critical (2 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 20.0 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2000)
29

Categories 

4-panel truss (215)
Adams County, Illinois (38)
Built 1905 (550)
Built during 1900s (4,246)
Illinois (2,499)
Lost (10,359)
Lost 2011 (254)
Lost during 2010s (681)
One-lane traffic (7,111)
Owned by township (1,813)
 Pin-connected (1,519)
Pony truss (13,216)
Pratt pony truss (2,341)
Pratt truss (5,658)
Replaced by new bridge (7,133)
Span length 25-50 feet (10,049)
Structurally deficient (16,676)
Total length 25-50 feet (7,628)
Truss (23,566)
Wooden deck (5,398)

Update Log 

  • September 29, 2011: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Bridge has been replaced with a concrete culvert.
  • April 3, 2006: Posted new photos

Sources 

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Comments 

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted July 5, 2010, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

My research shows this bridge was included in a June 11, 2010 bid letting. You can behold the ugliness of the replacement slab from this drawing from the bid package plans.

Uploaded file: JPEG image data, JFIF standard 1.01, 43224 bytes

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted May 4, 2010, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

This seems like a complete waste of time and money considering the replacement span is a stones throw away. Why not just fix it up a bit and leave it in place as a pedestrian bridge. A very nice little bridge that shouldn't be throw away!

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted May 4, 2010, by Dale Travis (daletravis [at] bigfoot [dot] com)

4-28-10: According to the road comissioner, this bridge will be replaced summer 2010.

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted December 19, 2007, by Diane Clark (graciehillfarm [at] juno [dot] com)

Another little chunk of history being destroyed.

We were there visiting (Adams Co.) the first week of November and noticed the bridge was closed as we went up the hill to the church and cemetery.

So many of my ancestors (now buried in Bluff Hall Cemetery and other area cemeteries) must have crossed that little bridge during their daily routines. My great grandfather lived south of there, just north of Fall Creek. Hardly anything of the past is left. His house and barn are, but I wouldn't be surprised to one day discover they had been knocked down to widen the highway.

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted December 12, 2007, by Jeremy Ruble (saukee0 [at] verizon [dot] net)

When I drove by this bridge the other day, it was closed. There was some corugated steel pipe next to it, so it looks like they might be replacing. I hope they dont this is a very nice bridge.

Bluff Hall Bridge
Posted June 3, 2007, by M. Celestq Brockmeyer Voss (mcelesta [at] sbcglobal [dot] net)

What a pleasant surprise to see aomething I played on when I was small and always passed at least every Sunday on our way up the hill to Bluff Hall Congregational Church. which sets on top the hill. Also the Fall Creek Bridge and gorge was one of our places also. Thank you for bringing back wonderful memories.