Valley City Eagle Bridges
Encyclopedia
The Valley City Eagle Bridges is a set of post tensioned cast-in-place concrete
box girder bridge
s that carry Interstate 72
and U.S. Route 36
across the Illinois River
. The bridges were completed in 1988. The highway was not completed until 1992, when Highway 36 was rerouted onto I-72 and the older Florence Bridge began carrying Highways 100
and 106. Each bridge has two lanes of travel on a 39 foot deck. The bridge is located near Valley City, Illinois
, the smallest municipality in the state. Motorists approaching the bridge will see a unique wooden entrance sign upon entering the bridge. The bridge has roughly 7,500 travelers per day.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
box girder bridge
Box girder bridge
A box girder bridge is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises either prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and reinforced concrete. The box is typically rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section...
s that carry Interstate 72
Interstate 72
Interstate 72 is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. Its western terminus is in Hannibal, Missouri, at an intersection with U.S. Route 61; its eastern terminus is at Country Fair Drive in Champaign, Illinois. In 2006, the Illinois General Assembly dedicated all of Interstate 72...
and U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
across 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...
. The bridges were completed in 1988. The highway was not completed until 1992, when Highway 36 was rerouted onto I-72 and the older Florence Bridge began carrying Highways 100
Illinois Route 100
Illinois Route 100 is a 157 mile highway in the southwest Illinois. It generally parallels the Illinois River. Starting in downtown Alton, it trends northward to Buckheart Township near Canton. It makes up much of the Illinois River Road, a U.S. National Scenic Byway...
and 106. Each bridge has two lanes of travel on a 39 foot deck. The bridge is located near Valley City, Illinois
Valley City, Illinois
Valley City is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13 at the 2010 census, making Valley City the smallest incorporated place in Illinois in terms of population.-Geography:Valley City is located at ....
, the smallest municipality in the state. Motorists approaching the bridge will see a unique wooden entrance sign upon entering the bridge. The bridge has roughly 7,500 travelers per day.