Big Bureau Creek Bridge
Description
This is a rare example of a Pratt variant that features double-intersecting counters (counters that cross 2 verticals). The Wrought Iron Bridge Company was known to use this design. Not sure if this is their work or that of another builder. This is a special bridge and local authorities should be informed so an attempt can be made to dismantle it before it collapses and is lost.Facts
- Overview
- Lost through truss bridge over Big Bureau Creek on Abandoned 2160 Rd, 3 mi. east of Tiskilwa
- Location
- Bureau County, Illinois
- Status
- Finally collapsed due to flooding on April 18, 2013
- History
- Built ca.1880's; rehabilitated 1949
- Builder
- - Wrought Iron Bridge Co. of Canton, Ohio
- Design
- Hammond through truss bridge.
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 108.9 ft.
Total length: 175.8 ft.
Deck width: 12.8 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 11.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +41.28985, -89.44046 (decimal degrees)
41°17'23" N, 89°26'26" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/295647/4573806 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Princeton South
- Inventory numbers
- IL 006-4004 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 15025 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 1999)
- Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 0.00 (out of 100)
Update Log
- September 28, 2014: New photo from Gene Smania
- May 20, 2013: New photos from Steve Conro
- April 21, 2013: New photo from Steve Conro
- April 20, 2013: Updated by Tony Dillon: Updated status as bridge collapsed during flooding.
- December 3, 2012: New photos from Steve Conro
- December 17, 2011: Updated by Tony Dillon: Added information
- December 17, 2011: Updated by Steve Conro: Updated status and added pictures
- April 12, 2010: Updated by Nathan Holth: Updated map.
Sources
- Nathan Holth
- Flickr Photo
- Steve Conro - sconro [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com
Comments
The NBC page that clip points to calls the bridge "historic old cast iron". *sigh* I suppose it's asking too much for the news media to get the facts correct.
Sadly, I knew with the storms coming through there that this was very likely to occur.
Another unfortunate loss!
Looks like this bridge finally bit the dust judging by this latest video:
Made a field visit to this bridge last Saturday and it was still standing. Its leaning about as far over as the Maple Rapids Road Bridge in Michigan was the last time I ever saw it standing. At this angle, the bridge will become top heavy and is at risk for tipping over like Maple Rapids did. Significant branches are piled up on what's left of the wooden piles. A massive rain of as much as four inches is predicted for this region in the coming days. If this occurs it would be the heaviest rain seen in a couple years in this area. So it might not be standing for long. It will be an unspeakable loss to see a Hammond truss collapsed.
I fear unless this one is rescued soon it will become nothing more than a memory...I hope not!
I was by there today and it's still not shored up. This creek floods pretty regularly due to the surrounding hills. I'm afraid one more time and it will be floating downstream. Lucky we didn't have much snow this year.
This bridge is actually one of only four examples I have found so far that follow what I call the "Hammond" truss configuration. Diagonals follow the Pratt design, while counters follow the Whipple design. I added a link to an All Rights Reserved Flickr photo.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/il/bureau/6400401646/
I hate it when I am right, but I called it during my site visit a mere week before.