1902,1983 CPKC/KCS/GWWR/GM&O Lift Bridge over Illinois River at Pearl, IL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

GWWR = Gateway Western Railroad

After writing this blog for more than a decade, I'm still finding bridges over the Illinois River.

The 1180' (360m) long bridge has a 425' (130m) lift span. The lift span was added in 1978. [Archived Bridge Hunter]

Or was it 1982-83 per Barbara's commented below. I think it was 1983.

Street View, Jul 2016

2007 photo by Nathan Morton vai ArchivedBridgeHunter

This original 1885 pin-connected truss was relocated to Minnesota. [Archived Bridge Hunter]

Street View, May 2025

Barbara Donovan posted 16 photos with the comment: "1982-83 the removal of the turnstile bridge at Pearl Landing and putting new span in."

DaVe Durham shared with the comment: "Pearl/Grand pass."

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I think the crane was on a barge so it could have stayed above the flood.

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To resolve the conflict of when the lift span was installed, 1978 vs. 1982-83, I researched the flooding of the Illinois River. I found data for Valley City, which is upstream from Perl, IL; and data for Hardin, which is downstream. I'm surprised how different they are. Late 1982 does show up as above Major Flood Stage in the Hardin record.

Valley City:

FloodStageBook, p77

Hardin:

FloodStageBook, p79

I got more Google search results for 1982 than I did for 1978. But some of the results for 1982 were in the Spring rather than in the Winter. It appears that 1982 impacted the tributaries more than the Illinois River itself.

Chart via USGS

Some comments agree that this was in 1982. This is at the Spencerville Covered Bridge. But this was in northeastern Indiana. I guess it does show that there was a lot of rain in the area.

Mary Hollabough Diehl posted

The year of the flood.   Look at the water level!! 

I remember this day like it was yesterday.  Walked down with my dad and he snapped this picture of me.  

Need help with exact year?   1982 ???  

(Photo Credit: Ted A. Hollabaugh)

This report does indicate that there was a flood during December 2-12, 1982. That correlates with Barbara's construction photos. Illinois also had flooding Winter-Spring 1982.

Soon after I published, I found confirmation that the flood started in Dec 2, 1982.