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Walden Lane East Bridge

Walden Lane East Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: December 13, 2012

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Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
Walden Lane Over Ravine
Location
Lake Forest: Lake County, Illinois: United States
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1914 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown
Rehabilitation Date
1995
Main Span Length
49.0 Feet (14.9 Meters)
Structure Length
61.0 Feet (18.6 Meters)
Roadway Width
17 Feet (5.18 Meters)
Spans
1 Main Span(s)
Inventory Number
49686028158

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
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Bridge Documentation

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

View An Archived Article By Arthur Miller Describing The Walden-Bluff's Edge Bridge and Estate

About The Walden Bridges

This bridge is the smallest of three similar historic steel arch bridges in the area. These bridges are noted for their beauty and unusual design. The three bridges are the Walden-Bluff's Edge Bridge, the Walden Lane Bridge West, and the Walden Lane Bridge East. A fourth bridge is similar design was demolished back in the 1950s. These bridges were all part of Walden, which was the estate of Cyrus H. McCormick, Jr. who was the oldest son of Cyrus Hall McCormick. Cyrus Hall McCormick, Sr. is famous in history for his contributions to the industrialization of agriculture including his promotion of a mechanical reaper. Cyrus Hall McCormick, Jr. was president of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, and later the merged International Harvester Company.

Structurally, the three bridges are noted for their extremely unusual columns. Most steel deck arch bridges have vertical columns that rise up from the arch rib to support the deck of the bridge. Each of the columns of the bridges are positioned at right angles to the arch ribs, and as such they fan out from the arches and meet the decks at an angle. This design is extremely unusual and it makes these bridges extremely rare variants of steel arch design. All three bridges also display unusual abutments that have a curved design, apparently to complement the angled skewbacks for the bridge. While abutments for steel arch bridges must always accommodate the angle of the skewbacks, the design of these abutments with an overall curve beyond the area of the skewbacks is highly unusual and appears to have done for aesthetic reasons. It likely made the stonework much more complicated to complete.

About This Bridge

This bridge has been rehabilitated and is in good structural condition. It also retains good historic integrity with no major alterations. There are some minor alterations with a few rivets replaced with bolts. The concrete balustrade railings do not appear to be original, but they provide a historical appearance. It is not known if they are meant to simulate the actual original railings for this bridge. The stone abutments are in good condition.

 

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Maps and Links: Walden Lane East Bridge

Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):

Search For Additional Bridge Listings:

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

2021 National Bridge Inventory: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

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