(
Bridge Hunter;
Historic Bridges;
John A. Weeks III;
3D Satellite)
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In this framed photo of tractors being loaded onto a barge, would this activity have been taking place at about where Riverplex is now? Were the tractors really transported by rail across the river from the Cat factory to this point for barge loading? Would this P&PU crane be on Rock Island trackage?
David Jordan P&PU hauled tractors there from East Peoria so shipments could be moved by river to New Orleans, then ocean vessel for export.
Ron Anderson There are many things to see in this photo. Was this a quiet day on the Murray Baker bridge (no visible traffic) or was the bridge under construction?? Also, it looks like the Franklin Street bridge is open for river traffic.
David Jordan The Murray Baker Bridge opened in December 1958, so the scene (which looks downriver) may well have been recorded before that time.
[Another example of an Industrial Brownhoist " big hook."]
Quinton Richard Lightweight workout for that old mule, just use the 2 part.
It almost looks like the machine is leaning into the load
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John A. Weeks III
Murray Baker is an Illinois native who was instrumental in getting the two companies (Holt and C.L. Best) who later merged to form Caterpillar to move to Peoria. Baker became Vice President and Director of Sales for Caterpillar and later served on the Board of Directors. |
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Mark David Moore posted
I-74/IL 29 over Illinois River
Mark David Moore shared |
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Traffic One posted
It was 19 years ago this week [or April 2005] that the Murray Baker Bridge (I-74) was shut down for six months as part of the 5-year long Upgrade 74 Reconstruction Project (2001-2006). Remember?
[Some comments indicate they did not add a third lane, and it is now a significant traffic problem.] |
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Thomas Dyrek posted
A few weeks ago, Roger Kujawa gave me some of him and his brother John's jaw-dropping Peoria area railroad slides from the 1970s and 1980s, including this one of a southbound Rock Island train passing the old passenger and freight depots along the Peoria riverfront in 1976. A huge thanks to Roger for giving me these amazing images - more will be posted soon! Photo by John and Roger Kujawa, Thomas Dyrek collection.
Chip Gay: Used to be quite a few more tracks on both sides, you can see in the weeds.
David Jordan: Chip Gay There used to be at least four tracks along Water Street. The Sears department store and parking deck, and Caterpillar parking deck forced several rail users to relocate c. 1964. When the Rock Island moved to its Morton Street station in 1967, there was even less need for so many tracks. The City of Peoria wanted to widen Water Street, so all but one track was removed in Spring 1975. One siding was dug up and temporarily connected at the north end for the American Freedom Train in July that year, then removed.
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In 2005, they closed the bridge to amputate the west truss to make room that was needed to add some interchange ramps.
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Via Bridge Hunter
This photo taken by Nick Volk shows the truss amputation in progress. He writes, "I had the pleasure of working on the recent rehab of the bridge as the Resident Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation. As an FYI, this shortening of the truss is the first time something like this has ever been attempted." |
The bridge will be completely closed beginning in April 2020 for seven months to replace the deck. So 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles a day are going to have to find an alternate route. (I wonder how congested I-474 normally is.) No work was done on the deck during the 2005 closure. The deck was last replaced in 1984-85. [
pjstar] I get frustrated with construction impacts in the Chicago area, but at least they just reduce lanes rather than doing a complete closure. I guess the reason they don't do partial closures of this bridge for construction is that it has no shoulders. When they close lanes around hear, they also shift the traffic onto the shoulder so that they can close complete lanes and have room for barriers between the construction lanes and the traffic lanes.
Given Illinois' preference for replacing truss bridges with steel-girder or cable-stay bridges, I'm surprised they are investing so much money in a bridge that is now rather inadequate in terms of interstate standards.
Work began on the bridge in 1954. It was part of the first segment of I-74 that was opened in December, 1958. The segment was just 2 miles long but it provided welcome relief from interruptions caused by the Franklin Street Bridge opening for river traffic. [
History of Marquette Heights, Illinois] That history reference includes a lot of fascinating commentary as recollected by one of the engineers, Henry C. Bankie Jr., that helped build it. The reference included these six photos.
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Murray Baker Bridge under construction 1958 |
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Murray Baker Bridge under construction 1958 |
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Murray Baker Bridge under construction 1958 |
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PHOTO I-74 Murray Baker Bridge over Illinois River, Peoria, Illinois, 3-21-1958. IDOT Aerial Surveys Section Art Kisler Collection. Photo 14438. |
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PHOTO Erecting center span, Fondulac grade separation bridge, Tazewell County, Illinois, 8-5-1958. IDOT Aerial Surveys Section Art Kisler Collection Photo 14573 |
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PHOTO Interchange under construction, I-74, Tazewell County, Illinois, 6-4-1959. IDOT Aerial Surveys Section Art Kisler Collection Photo 14715 |
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A comment on a post
[On this side of the river (Peoria) is the barge loading facility and Rock Island yard in the second photo above. On the far side is the Cilco power plant.] |
David Jordan
posted two images with the comment:
Peoria Journal Star January 22, 1957.
Construction on the steel superstructure for the Murray Baker Bridge hadn't begun when this photo was taken, but the bridge, which today carries Interstate 74 through across the river, would dominate this scene if taken today. View looks southward with the river at left.
The Peoria River & Rail Terminal opened on June 15, 1931. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific/Peoria Terminal Co. and the Peoria & Pekin Union had access. Although the deepening economic slump was already biting the local job market, new rail-to-barge and barge-to-rail movements generated brisk traffic and work for men who might have otherwise been unemployed.
When this photo was shot, Federal Barge Lines was the operator of this facility. N. E. Finch Companies became operator in 1957. United Ready Mix Co. operated just upriver here in 1964-1981. The extent of rail activity isn't entirely clear to me though it is listed as one of the Peoria & Pekin Union's largest customers in the 1980 Centennial Booklet, "100 Years of Service."
By 1974, the City of Peoria desired to develop a riverfront park on land leased to the barge terminal. The lease was automatically renewable on January 1 of every year, and unless either party elected to terminate the lease by October 1.
Apparently, the City of Peoria took this action in 1980, forcing Peoria Barge Terminal Inc. to consolidate operations at its Sanger Street facility by early 1982.
The Peoria Journal Star reported on August 21, 1980 that major business was aggregate rock and heavy equipment. The former arrived by barge at the downtown facility. Export-bound WABCO trucks were driven from the plant on NE Adams Street and NE Jefferson Street to Eaton Street and to the downtown dock for loading. Truck bodies were loaded at the Sanger Street facility. Caterpillar equipment was trucked here from the East Peoria facility for a time, but had shifted to Sanger Street sometime after that facility opened in 1968.
Although the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway provided ICC-directed service over the Rock Island in April-May 1980 and Burlington Northern did so from June 1980 through January 1982, it is unclear if they handled any traffic for Peoria Barge Terminal.
William Mcdermott: That was right by the rock island yard.
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