Peoria, Illinois bridges
Peoria, IL and East Peoria, IL are split by the Illinois River, a body of water that reaches up to a mile across in places along Peoria Lake. In the Peoria area, there are six road crossings over the Illinois River. Because of the topology of the cities, alignments of the numerous state routes across the Illinois River become confused. All of the bridges are required to be at least 70 feet above the average river level, as the Illinois River is a main route for cargo ships between New Orleans, LA and the Atlantic Ocean via Chicago and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Bridges in this article are listed from south to north.
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Shade-Lohman Bridge
The Shade-Lohman Bridge carries Interstate 474 over the Illinois River between Bartonville and Creve Coeur.
Cedar Street Bridge
The Cedar Street Bridge carries Illinois State Route 8, Illinois State Route 29, and Illinois State Route 116 over the Illinois River. It is about a mile and a half southwest from downtown. The bridge is a simple steel arch bridge that towers approximately 70 to 80 feet above the surface of the river, and is the shortest span of the five. The name of the bridge comes from the original name of its street on the Peoria side of the river; the street itself is now called MacArthur Highway, while the bridge is still referred to as Cedar Street.
Bob Michel Bridge
The Bob Michel Bridge carries Illinois State Route 40 over the Illinois River just three quarters of a mile up-river from the Cedar Street Bridge. Illinois 40 terminates at the end of a ramp just east of the bridge. This bridge is structurally similar to the Cedar Street Bridge, and serves industrial areas on both sides of the bridge. A large area on the East Peoria side is now being redeveloped for retail, wit development occurring at a rapid pace.
The Bob Michel Bridge is named after former Congressman Robert H. Michel, a Peoria-area Republican who served in Congress in the late 1970's.
Murray Baker Bridge
The Murray Baker Bridge carries Interstate 74 over the Illinois River at the end of Peoria Lake. The bridge itself is a single cantilever bridge, with two lanes in each direction, but has no shoulders and is therefore not up to modern Interstate standards. As of spring of 2005, the bridge is temporarily closed for the Upgrade 74 project; the bridge will have new ramps attached near its ends, but the main bridge itself will not be replaced.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Murray Baker Bridge was built in 1958.
McClugage Bridge / Iron Workers' Memorial Bridge
The Iron Workers' Memorial Bridge carries U.S. Highway 24 and U.S. Highway 150 over Upper Peoria Lake. It was so named after an accident in 2000 killed three iron workers' when scaffolding on the bridge collapsed 60 feet into the river. The bridge's other, more common, name honors David H. McClugage, mayor of Peoria from 1937 to 1941. The route is actually two steel cantilever bridges, side by side, with three lanes on the westbound bridge and two on the eastbound bridge.
External Resources
- All the Bridges Are Fit to Cross, a short article about the bridges' names
- Labor Landmarks
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