Joliet's Movable Bridges Overview

To summarize the following video information, from north to south:

• CN/EJ&E #198 Bridge
• Ruby Street Bridge
• Jackson Street Bridge
• Cass Street Bridge
• Jefferson Street Bridge
• (Metra+CSX+IAIS)/Rock Island Bridge (#407)
• McDonough Street Bridge

This 0:48 timelapse video of a tow going downbound on the Des Plaines River through Joliet, IL, has motivated me to index my notes concerning the Joliet movable bridges.

The CN/EJ&E #198 Bridge

0:48 video @ 0:04

I zoomed in so that you can see the leaves of a bascule bridge in the background. These caught my eye because you can watch them go up just before this timestamp. That means another tow is also on the river in Joliet.

Digitally Zoomed

We soon see that the other tow is a local going upbound.

0:48 video @ 0:16, cropped

And that the bridge we saw in the raised position at 0:04 was the Ruby Street Bridge.

0:48 video @ 0:25, cropped

The Jackson Street Bridge is up, but the Cass Street Bridge is still down. On the port riverbank is the Joliet Marine & Drydock and Alexander McKenzie.

0:48 video @ 0:27, cropped

The Cass Street Bridge is almost in its fully open position.

0:48 video @ 0:31, cropped

I added this closeup of the Cass Street Bridge because it shows that the Jefferson Street Bridge is down. That is significant because it had been in its raised position for a couple of years waiting on a part to be fabricated so that it could be fixed.

0:48 video @ 0:34, cropped

For variety, I show the Jefferson Street Bridge on its way up.

0:48 video @ 0:34, cropped

The (Metra+CSX+IAIS)/Rock Island Bridge (#407) is always up unless a train needs to cross it.

0:48 video @ 0:37, cropped

I saved the McDonough Street Bridge as it just started to go up because I wanted to catch the Prairie Creek Grain barge loading facility on the starboard side. The white dome is part of a cement distribution company that is on the other side of McDonough Street.

0:48 video @ 0:41, cropped

Another overview:

1 of 2 photos posted by Dale Bulthuis Jr.
Beau Blessey coming down through Joliet
[Taken from the Cass Street Bridge, we see the Jackson and Ruby Street Bridges. The white bridge in the distance is the BNSF/Santa Fe Bridge over the I&M Canal.]

1:21 timelapse video, southbound

1:28 timelapse video, northbound in the dark   Near the end there is a southbound BNSF/Santa Fe train on the I&M Canal bridge and a southbound tow that appears to be waiting for him to come north.