Bluff Hall Bridge
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)
- Quadrangle 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
Update Log
- September 29, 2011: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Bridge has been replaced with a concrete culvert.
- April 3, 2006: Posted new photos
Sources
- Jeremy Ruble - saukee0 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Comments
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.
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!
4-28-10: According to the road comissioner, this bridge will be replaced summer 2010.
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.
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.
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.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/il/adams/bluff-hall/
Bridge has been replaced by an ugly concrete job.....My question is what happened to the old bridge it has disappeared after sitting around for a bit?