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Current Location Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| 135th Street Bridge | Swing (Truss) | 135th Street | Will County, IL | Romeoville | Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal |
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Original Location Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| 135th Street Bridge | Swing (Truss) | Centennial Trail | Will County, IL | Romeoville | Des Plaines River Pond |
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Technical Facts (Prior To Relocation) |
|
Construction Date |
Relocation Date |
Structure Length | Lengths From Pier to Ends of Truss | Max. Height of Trusses Above Deck | Bridge Width | Roadway Width | Walkway Width |
| 1899 | 1996 | 302 Feet | 204 Feet and 98 Feet | 40 Feet | 26 Feet | 18 Feet | 5 Feet |
This magnificent climax to the Centennial Trail system that has been created in the area is a structure that was once common in the area 100 years ago but is today distinguished as the last highway swing bridge remaining from the Sanitary and Ship Canal. A few railroad swing bridges do remain however, and some are actually similar in terms of shape to this bridge like the Lemont Railroad Bridge. This bridge is unusual as swing bridges go not only for its length, but also for not being symmetrical around the pier. One end is much longer than the other. Most swing bridges were symmetrical so that the weight was balanced. This bridge was closed to traffic in 1990, and eventually replaced by a modern bridge and relocated here to this nearby location in 1996. One nice thing is the railings they placed on the bridge are not those ugly cyclone fences or heavy wooden railings that typically ruin a historic bridge, they are low-visual-impact steel railings that meet my rather tough-to-earn approval. This was a rather large bridge to move, and I am glad that people cared enough about this historic artifact to save it. The bridge is a pin connected structure. Truss configurations are hard to classify on swing bridges because the top chord can assume so many angles, but I feel comfortable calling this bridge's configuration a Warren. Given that, the structure is significant because pin connected Warren trusses are very uncommon. Warren configurations were more often used once riveted connections were used. This bridge is very beautiful, and it owes much of this beauty to the extensive network of lattice and v-lacing on its members, chords, and portal bracing designs. There is a lot to look at on this bridge! It is a must-see attraction of any greater Chicago area trip.
