Rating:
2 votes

Cache River Bridge

Johnson County, Illinois

Photos 

Overview

Photo taken by James Baughn in February 2019

Enlarge

BH Photo #443486

Map 

Description 

Located within Cypress Pond State Natural Area a short hike from the trailhead at the end of Baldwin Lane.

Facts 

Overview
Abandoned bedstead pony truss bridge over Old Channel Cache River on the former Elvira to Pleasant Grove Road
Location
Johnson County, Illinois
Status
Abandoned with deck removed; on verge of collapse
Design
Riveted 3-panel bedstead Warren pony truss
Dimensions
Span length: 50.0 ft.
Total length: 50.0 ft.
Deck width: 12.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+37.46968, -89.02746   (decimal degrees)
37°28'11" N, 89°01'39" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/320710/4148907 (zone/easting/northing)
Land survey
T. 12 S., R. 2 E., Sec. 18
Inventory number
BH 84392 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Abandoned (3,943)
Bedstead Warren pony truss (107)
Bedstead truss (546)
Illinois (4,947)
Johnson County, Illinois (40)
Owned by state (16,593)
 Pony truss (17,091)
Span length 50-75 feet (10,468)
Total length 50-75 feet (9,638)
Truss (36,026)
Warren pony truss (3,582)
Warren truss (7,051)

Update Log 

  • February 10, 2019: Added photos from James Baughn
  • February 9, 2019: Updated by James Baughn: Field visit confirms this is a bedstead truss, but is in terrible condition
  • February 4, 2019: Added by James Baughn

Sources 

  • James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
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Comments 

Cache River Bridge
Posted February 11, 2019, by Nick Schmiedeler (nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com)

Handful of Warren bedsteads in our state, but not have seen one with the "guard rails" placed inside, common on most the very old thru-trusses around here

Cache River Bridge
Posted February 10, 2019, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Warren Bedsteads came along towards the end of bedsteads in general so they were much less common than the Pratt versions. We had several in Southern Indiana at one time but only a couple abandoned ones remain. The East St. Louis Bridge Company (Former Attica Bridge Co.) seemed to favor this type for a time and may have been the fabricator of this one.

Cache River Bridge
Posted February 10, 2019, by Nick Schmiedeler (nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com)

That sucker is unique. Run into dozens of abandoned (and open) bedsteads in Kansas and have seen exactly zero just like that. Awesome find.

Cache River Bridge
Posted February 10, 2019, by Melissa Brand-Welch (melissabrandwelch [at] msn [dot] com)

It's Beautiful