details

Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

Home

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Rockford, Winnebago County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: IL/13-101-06x
County: Winnebago County
Township: Rockford
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Rockford
Crosses: Rock River
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 5
Length: 1100'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1882
Builder:
When Lost: 1929
Cause: Replaced
Latitude: N42 15.887
Longitude: W089 05.734
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Rockford.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge, Rockford, Winnebago County, IL Built 1882 Lost 1929
Elna Johnson Collection

Comments:
The covered bridge was originally built about 1882 as an exposed timber truss bridge by the Chicago, Rockford and Northern Railroad. The covering was added in 1898 to protect the original wood truss members from weathering and decay. The covering was corrugated galvanized iron used because of the spark hazard from steam locomotives. The bridge as originally constructed consisted of five 150-foot long covered Howe truss spans. The covered spans were replaced one at a time in 1929 with steel truss spans, reusing the original piers.

Sources:
Eaton, Thelma. The Covered Bridges of Illinois, 1968, page 185
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume 26, Number 3, October 1968, page 1