Rating:
2 votes

Utica Bridge

LaSalle County, Illinois

Photos 

Driving across

Photo taken by Bill Burmaster

BH Photo #102294

Map 

Street View 

View Uglybridges.com report

Facts 

Overview
Cantilevered through truss bridge over the Illinois River on IL 178 near Utica in La Salle
Location
LaSalle County, Illinois
Status
Open to two-lane traffic
Future prospects
Slated for demolition and replacement.
History
Built 1962
Design
Cantilevered Warren through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 377.8 ft.
Total length: 1,157.8 ft.
Deck width: 29.8 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 17.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.32742, -89.01075   (decimal degrees)
41°19'39" N, 89°00'39" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/331728/4577054 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
La Salle
Inventory numbers
IL 050-0088 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 15420 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 06/2012)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 48.9 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2012)
3,100

Categories 

Built 1962 (171)
Built during 1960s (1,743)
Cantilevered (294)
Cantilevered truss (249)
Doomed (1,031)
Have street view (22,044)
Illinois (3,845)
Illinois River (56)
LaSalle County, Illinois (83)
Navigable waterway (1,998)
 Open (36,529)
Owned by state (13,640)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,086)
Structurally deficient (18,407)
Through truss (12,893)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,659)
Truss (29,433)
Warren through truss (1,446)
Warren truss (5,784)

Update Log 

  • August 5, 2016: New photos from David Huffman
  • January 13, 2015: New photos from Gene Smania
  • February 7, 2013: New photos from Gene Smania
  • July 20, 2012: New Street View added by kcin556
  • November 3, 2011: Updated by Nathan Holth: This bridge is now doomed.
  • January 26, 2011: New photos from Nick Brnot
  • January 9, 2006: Posted photos from Bill Burmaster

Sources 

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Comments 

Utica Bridge
Posted November 3, 2011, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

IDOT's apparent quest to destroy every truss bridge they own continues. http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/local/default.asp?arti...

I note that the NBI indicates there isn't even anything wrong with this bridge. What a waste.

Utica Bridge
Posted March 13, 2011, by Gene Smania

Originally the old bridge did not have a span that opened for barge traffic. In 1906 a tornado destroyed a couple of spans and sometime after that the swing span was added. The old road and abutment on the south shore still exist and are part of Starved Rock State Park. Some of the original north abutment stones are still there, but scattered under the present bridege. All photos are by Art Kistler, IDOT employee.

Utica Bridge
Posted October 11, 2006, by Jeffrey Trester (MdyBlues20 [at] aol [dot] com)

I remember this bridge being built at the age of 8. I wold go with my grandfather to the Utica quarry on the south Utica side by the river and look up watching the construction workers. I also remember the swing bridge it replaced. I liked getting stuck in traffic having to wait for the barges to go by till the bridge swung back for traffic to proceed. I don't think my grandfather liked getting stuck though.

Utica Bridge
Posted June 9, 2006, by Steve Forbes (sandlforbes [at] yahoo [dot] com)

This bridge replaced a swing bridge that had been there since my Mother and Aunt were kids. I remember when this bridge was constructed. I was about 5 years old at the time. It was a site to see when we would drive over the old swing bridge seeing this high monster being constructed. After its completion you could look down on the north side and see what was left of the old road.