Rating:
12 votes

Flensburg Bridge

Effingham County, Illinois

Photos 

South side

Photo taken by Robert Stephenson in April 2009

Enlarge

BH Photo #140327

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Bowstring through truss bridge over Little Wabash River on TR 299
Location
Effingham County, Illinois
Status
Abandoned
History
Built 1882
Builder
- King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
Design
Bowstring through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 118.1 ft.
Total length: 174.9 ft.
Deck width: 13.5 ft.
Also called
Little Wabash River Bowstring Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.93823, -88.54915   (decimal degrees)
38°56'18" N, 88°32'57" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/365736/4311063 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Hord
Inventory numbers
IL 025-3131 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 38981 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (6,519)
Abandoned (3,222)
Bowstring through truss (211)
Bowstring truss (436)
Built 1882 (126)
Built during 1880s (1,728)
Effingham County, Illinois (33)
Illinois (4,176)
King Bridge Co. (305)
Lally columns (271)
 Little Wabash River (40)
One-lane traffic (7,521)
Owned by township (2,428)
Span length 100-125 feet (4,140)
Structurally deficient (17,670)
Sufficiency rating zero (291)
Through truss (13,345)
Total length 125-175 feet (5,457)
Truss (30,158)
Wooden deck (5,908)

Update Log 

  • October 29, 2018: New photos from Elliott Johnson
  • September 4, 2010: Updated by Robert Stephenson: Changed name
  • August 30, 2010: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added builder.
  • May 17, 2009: Updated by Robert Stephenson: Name, Status, Design and GPS
  • April 18, 2009: Updated by Robert Stephenson: Design
  • January 31, 2009: Added by Robert Stephenson

Sources 

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Comments 

Flensburg Bridge
Posted July 28, 2015, by Travis Macklin (tmac2540 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

I was just there yesterday. Its a shame all the decking boards have been removed but still it is something to see. like the other guys messaging I remember traveling across as a child.

Flensburg Bridge
Posted July 11, 2015, by Gary Cameron (gcameron47 [at] gmail [dot] com)

This very bridge is still intact. Jared talked of a truck that had fell threw its decking as a little boy of 10 or so I seen that said truck on the bank of the river was a lime truck headed to my grandfathers farm ground on the west side of the river I have heard tales that this bridge structure is 100+ years old and drove tractors and walked across this bridge many times in my youth

Flensburg Bridge
Posted February 21, 2012, by Jared Macklin (macklin6 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

I spent many a childood summer here with my brother and father. While I don't look at this bridge with the same midset bridge enthusiasts do, I can't help but remember those days. I remember when a neighboring farmer unwisely drove to heavy a load over her and destroyed her; so I thought at the time, however it may be also why they closed the road and allowed the bridge to remain to this day. Strange how things work out and how a mind can change. God Bless

Little Wabash River Bowstring Bridge
Posted August 31, 2010, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

WOW, what a great find! A classic example of a King Bridge Co. Bowstring.