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Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge

Photos 

Photo taken by James McCray in June 2021

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BH Photo #500922

Facts 

Overview
Pratt through truss bridge over The eastern side of the Mississippi River on Dock Access
Location
Monroe County, Illinois
Status
Open to authorized personell only
Builders
- George S. Morison of New Bedford, Massachusetts (Design)
- Union Bridge Co. of Buffalo, New York & Athens, Pennsylvania
Design
Pratt through truss
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.44405, -90.28229   (decimal degrees)
38°26'39" N, 90°16'56" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/737182/4258583 (zone/easting/northing)
Inventory number
BH 82994 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (9,802)
Built 1894 (271)
Built during 1890s (3,423)
Dock (2)
George S. Morison (35)
Illinois (5,123)
Monroe County, Illinois (30)
Open to pedestrians (4,715)
Owned privately (2,038)
Pratt through truss (6,455)
Pratt truss (10,915)
Rail-to-trail (1,685)
Railroad (17,179)
Relocated (1,112)
Through truss (19,327)
Truss (38,720)
Union Bridge Co. (73)

Update Log 

  • July 20, 2021: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added engineer
  • June 29, 2021: New photos from James McCray
  • September 29, 2018: Updated by Luke: Added company name + noted relocation
  • September 29, 2018: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
  • September 29, 2018: Added by James McCray

Related Bridges 

Sources 

Comments 

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted July 20, 2021, by Luke

The span in the lake appears to have been intentionally dumped as a pseudo-dock, as earlier aerials show 3 barges tethered to it.

Also note the half-sunken barge nearby.

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted July 20, 2021, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

It’s obviously awesome that this span was saved. In Pekin, IL; two identical spans seem to exist. One is flopped over in a lake near the UP lift bridge. The other crosses the lake inlet. I strongly suspect both are from the Alton bridge as well. I wonder if one was an accident, and another span purchased? It sure makes one wonder what else may be out there, waiting to be found....

This span appears to have been modified in some way, and I would love to get close:

http://bridgehunter.com/il/tazewell/up---industrial-spur/

This span may have fallen off a barge (???)

http://bridgehunter.com/il/tazewell/bh67941/

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted June 30, 2021, by Luke

Done. Thanks for getting photographs to confirm.

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted June 29, 2021, by James McCray (jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Visited this thing today. It is a real piece of old Alton Railroad Mississippi River Bridge that was saved, moved, and repurposed into a bridge connecting to a floating dock. I got permission to go onto the bridge and dock to photograph it. Can someone who has a desire and time go into the page for the old alton Railroad bridge and note that a span was saved?

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted September 30, 2018, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

It might be that a quick phone call or email would confirm this.

Luhr Brothers Boat Dock Bridge
Posted September 29, 2018, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

A quick google earth measure indicates this bridge is approximately 210' long, the same length as the Alton Bridge spans. Based on the fact that the owner is a construction contractor who states they work closely with the Army Corp of Engineers, the dimensional and visual evidence, I strongly believe that Alton was the original location of this span. If there are no objections, I will add the build date and historical information to this span.

Floating Dock Truss Bridge (?)
Posted September 29, 2018, by Luke

As always James, nice find!

Floating Dock Truss Bridge (?)
Posted September 29, 2018, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

To me, it looks like a piece of the old Alton railroad Bridge, due to the portals.

https://bridgehunter.com/il/madison/alton-rr/

Floating Dock Truss Bridge (?)
Posted September 29, 2018, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

Looks like they drive across it. Possibly purpose built but likely relocated. For sure a bridge!

Floating Dock Truss Bridge (?)
Posted September 29, 2018, by James McCray (jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com)

So what is this? I added it due to the fact you can see it from the Interstate Bridge from the north and from Google Map it looks like a real truss. Maybe a relocated truss that is being reused as a dock ramp of sorts? Anyway, is it a real truss bridge?