Ruby Street Bridge, Joliet, IL

20150603 2040

(Flickr Album, Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, Satellite) Update: The Illinois Flickr Album contains some more pictures of this bridge.

The Ruby Street Bridge is the only fixed trunnion design in Joliet. This view is of the leaves going down after the 3-barge tow passed under. Note that you can see the Sante Fe I&M Canal Bridge and on each side of that bridge you can see the towers of the CN/EJ&J Des Plaines River Bridge. I then switched to a video of the bridge going down. I also caught portal videos of the bridge going up and going down. And an elevation view of it going up.

Vxla also as a set of pictures that includes interior shots.

This bridge is representative of the Chicago design of the fixed trunnion drawbridge. It is not a through truss nor a deck truss, but a pony truss. That is, the truss has elements above and below the deck. Another characteristic of the Chicago design is that the upper chord is curved. I took the following shot to catch the Santa Fe container train, but it also captures the truss in the middle of the bridge. Having part of the truss above the deck not only increases the clearance under the bridge, it provides a heavy-duty barrier between vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The above view and this one illustrates that Joliet has done a good job of preserving the historic handrails.

While I was out near the middle of the bridge taking the following picture, a semi-truck went across the bridge, and I got a brief flash of terror as the bridge leaf bounced down and up. Earthquakes don't bother me because the movement is sideways. But my brain does not like the "ground" going down.

When I noticed the Jefferson Street Bridge was up and that the Cass Street Bridge was going up, I trotted back to the car to go to the Jackson Street Bridge in the foreground to catch the tow that was causing the bridges to go up.

Another grab of the Santa Fe container train from the middle of the bridge also caught the bridge tender house.

Later, from the Jackson Street Bridge, I caught an 11-barge tow going upstream. There are more pictures at the Flickr link at the beginning of this post.

Matt Weide posted

I used satellite images to verify that he was approaching the Ruby Street Bridge. The church steeple and brown building are definitive.

3D Satellite

I don't have general notes for bridges in Joliet, so I chose this bridge to note the video because soon after 0:20 you can see it go up and down in the background and then you can see it go up again when this tow arrives. Because it is broke, the Jefferson Street Bridge is always up.

Screenshot @ 0:18
Dennis DeBruler: In the background at 0:18 you can see Jackson Street going down and then at 0:20 you can see Ruby Street go up and down. So this tow is chasing another one through town.
Adam DeSimone: Dennis DeBruler indeed I was not far behind.
Dennis DeBruler shared

This video shows the drawbridges in Joliet, IL in action. It starts by going under I-80 on the south side of Joliet.

The blue bridge is McDonough Street (US-52 & US-6).

The CSX/Rock Island bridge is lowered by the conductor when a train needs to use it. At 0:18, if you look in the background, you can see the Jackson Street Bridge going down because there is a tow ahead of this one.

The Jefferson Street Bridge has been stuck up for over a year. One problem that IDOT has admitted was getting a replacement part fabricated. But they haven't explained other delays. In the background at 0:20, Ruby Street Bridge goes up and down.

Next is the Cass Street Bridge.

Then we get a closeup of Jackson Street going up and down.

And a closeup of Ruby Street.

At 0:45 in the background is the tow that this one has been chasing through town.

The fixed truss on the starboard side is the BNSF/Santa Fe Railroad over the Indiana & Michigan Canal. The canal joined the Des Plaines River here and used the river through much of Joliet.

The video stops before it gets to the CN/EJ&E bridge. Unlike the CSX bridge, this one is normally down and it has to be raised for barge traffic.

Digitally Zoomed

I wonder how long the bridge will be out. How did the driver get containers on both sides of the road? Note the 13'6" sign on the side of the overpass.

safe_image for Semi Vs Viaduct In Joliet & Ruby Street Is Down Due Stuck Barge
"shifted the railroad tracks"
[The overpass is BNSF/SantaFe over Scott Street.]

Note the bent beam where the container crumpled up against it. In fact, that black line a little to the left of the bend looks like a break. I've seen trucks smack the top edge of an overpass, but how did he get it this far under the overpass and then tilt it over? 

WJOL

Dennis DeBruler commented on the "safe_image"

The text mentions: "shifted the railroad tracks!"

Another photo in the article shows that the wedged container bent one of the support members of the overpass. In fact, it looks like the girder may have broke a little left of the bend. And another photo clearly shows that the slanty thing on the left is the bottom of an electric power pole. That pole used to be vertical.

https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...

safe_image for UPDATE: Joliet’s Ruby St. bridge now closing Thursday [Oct 24, 2024]
This closure will be for a week.