Iroquois 1300 Bridge #2

"TR-146 Bridge"

This historic bridge was demolished in 2007.

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: August 13, 2006

This is a perfect example of the traditional pin connected Pratt through truss that came to dominate the late 19th century and very early 20th century. It retains a high degree of historic and structural integrity. While the bridge may not exhibit any unusual or groundbreaking designs, the bridge is a good example of an increasingly rare structure type that was once common on the roadways of the United States. This bridge today is a rare structure type. Some historians, particularly those hired by the government to assess structures, might turn away this bridge saying it does not have an old enough construction date or lacks distinctive details. I would strongly disagree with this assessment. Rather, I feel it is important to preserve all aspects of old metal truss bridges. The standardization of the truss bridge by the early 1900s is as much a part of the truss bridge history as the older and bizarre designs seen in 1870s truss bridges. All are worthy of preservation, in order to ensure that a clear documentation of our transportation heritage is achieved. This bridge is over 100 years old, that alone makes it significant in my mind. For over a century, this bridge has served its purpose faithfully. Also, one cannot overlook the aesthetic value of the bridge regardless of the history it has. An otherwise undistinguished rural roadway is turned into a unique experience as one crosses this bridge. No modern bridge today can offer the same experience. Iroquois County has an unusually large number of truss bridges; other counties in Illinois are not so lucky. This traditionally composed bridge features six panels. The deck is wooden and channel railings are present. There is v-lacing on the verticals, on the sway bracing, and under the top chord and end posts. Looped eye bars are present on the bridge, including the bottom chord.

The weather and lighting couldn't have been better during this Iroquois County trip I made, and my photos of this bridge came out wonderful. Be sure to explore the photo gallery for this bridge, particularly the overview photos.