Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge over the Illinois River, near LaSalle, Illinois. | |
| Coordinates | 41°19′29″N 89°04′37″W / 41.3247°N 89.0769°W |
| Carries | Four lanes of I-39 / US 51 |
| Crosses | Illinois River, IL 351, Illinois and Michigan Canal, Iowa Interstate Railroad, and Buzzi Unicem industrial rail lead (the former Illinois Central Railroad mainline). |
| Locale | LaSalle, Illinois and Oglesby, Illinois |
| Official name | Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Illinois Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 000050019120847 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Through arch |
| Total length | 2,170.8 metres (7,122.0 ft)[1] |
| Width | 4 traffic lanes, 82 ft (25 m)[2] |
| Longest span | 619.9 feet (189 m)[2] |
| Clearance above | 19.3 feet (5.88 m)[2] |
| History | |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Location | |
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Illinois is a four-lane bidirectional road bridge that spans the Illinois River, Illinois Route 351, Illinois and Michigan Canal, and local roads and railroads. It carries Interstate 39 (I-39), a major north-south Interstate through central Illinois, and its U.S. Route counterpart, U.S. Route 51 (US 51).
Description
The bridge crosses the river between LaSalle and Oglesby, at river mile 225.8.[3] The structure comprises a main span over the river, flanked by 43 approach spans. It is named after Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States. The main span is a through-arch design, 620 feet (189.0 m) long. The clearance of this span over the river, from low steel of the bridge to normal water level in the pool below, is 66.0 feet (20.1 m).[3] With the approach spans, the total length of the structure is 7,120.8 feet (2,170.4 m). Its length makes it the longest bridge in Illinois.[4]
History
The bridge was built in 1987 when I-39 was first extended south to what is now Illinois Route 251. The highway itself has since been extended all the way to the Bloomington–Normal area. In 2007, the bridge was rehabilitated due to the poor performance of the existing precast deck panels and the frequent surfacing of potholes.[5] On October 31, 2008 the rehabilitation project was completed 15 days ahead of the contract requirement.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Svirsky, Alexander. "Nationalbridges.com". Retrieved October 22, 2007.
- ^ a b c Baughn, James; et al. (2005). "Historic Bridges of the Midwest". Retrieved January 18, 2006.
- ^ a b Map no. 89 Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Illinois Waterway Mile 225.1 to 228, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1998).
- ^ Mall, Scott (February 23, 2022). "FreightWaves Classics/Infrastructure: I-39 serves rural Illinois and Wisconsin". FreightWaves. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ "Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge". Benesch. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ "IL: I-39 Abraham Lincoln Bridge Rehabilitation Project". America's Transportation Awards. February 7, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2024.