Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge
Encyclopedia
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
, a major north-south Interstate through central Illinois, and its U.S. Route counterpart, U.S. Route 51
.
, at river mile 225.8. The structure comprises a main span over the river, flanked by 43 approach spans. The main span is a through-arch design, 620 feet (189 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 feet (20.1 m). With the approach spans, the total length of the structure is 7120.8 feet (2,170.4 m).
. The highway itself has since been extended all the way to Bloomington-Normal.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
is a four-lane bidirectional road bridge that spans the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
, Illinois Route 351
Illinois Route 351
Illinois Route 351 is a north–south state route that leads from Illinois Route 71 and Illinois Route 251 by Oglesby through downtown La Salle to Interstate 80. It is long.- Route description :...
, Illinois and Michigan Canal
Illinois and Michigan Canal
The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois, on the Illinois River. It was finished in 1848 when Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over its opening; and it allowed boat transportation from the Great...
, and local roads and railroads. It carries Interstate 39
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
, a major north-south Interstate through central Illinois, and its U.S. Route counterpart, U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39...
.
Description
The bridge crosses the river between LaSalle and OglesbyOglesby, Illinois
Oglesby is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,791 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Schools:...
, at river mile 225.8. The structure comprises a main span over the river, flanked by 43 approach spans. The main span is a through-arch design, 620 feet (189 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 feet (20.1 m). With the approach spans, the total length of the structure is 7120.8 feet (2,170.4 m).
History
The bridge was built in 1987 when Interstate 39 was first extended south to what is now Illinois Route 251Illinois Route 251
Illinois Route 251 is a north–south state road that runs on the former alignment of U.S. Route 51 before Interstate 39 was built in central Illinois. It runs from U.S. 51 at the border with Wisconsin to I-39 and U.S. 51 south of Kappa. Illinois 251 is long.- Route description :Illinois 251...
. The highway itself has since been extended all the way to Bloomington-Normal.