1838,1903,1922 I&M Canal Aqueduct and 1899,1919 IAIS/Rock Island & Lost/Superior St. Bridges over Fox River in Ottawa, IL

Aqueduct: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)

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

Superior: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite, the extended piers on the south side of the aqueduct carried the bridge.)

I&M Canal Overview

The railroad bridge is in the foreground and the aqueduct is behind it.

Street View, Aug 2025

Illinois and Michigan Canal Photo Tour posted
The 464 foot [141m] long Fox River aqueduct at Ottawa circa 1900 and in 2006.
Brad Small: Interurban tracks along south side in 1900 photo. [A plan for interurban tracks, which I don't think happened.]

"Originally built in 1838 to carry the I&M; Canal over the Fox River wooden trough of aqueduct replaced with steel trough 1922" [ArchivedBridgeHunter_aqueduct]

Because the tow path was obsolete in the 20th Century (mules had been replaced by engines), the towpath was replaced with an interurban bridge in 1903. Evidently, there was a plan to move the Chicago, Ottawa & Peoria from the Main Street Bridge to this new bridge to remove street running in Ottawa. But every map I have seen indicates that the plan was never executed.

This is the upstream side of the aqueduct. The steel girders are the north side of the trough that held the water.

20150809, 4092

The interurban bridge is now a trail bridge. It reused the piers that were built for the canal's towpath.

Out on that trail, I stuck my camera up against the chain-link fence to take this upstream photo. We see the wall of the aqueduct trough, the Rock Island Bridge and the US-6 Bridge. It looks like they had to paint over some graffiti. Did the slits allow flood water to spill into the Fox River? 

HistoricBridges does not think these slits are original: "Also, there are crudely cut holes in the steel girders. The exact purpose of these holes is unclear, but they diminish the historic integrity of the bridge and are ugly looking."

And I leaned over the side of the trail to get this photo of the trough.

Another view of today's trail.

HAER ILL, 50-OTWA, 7--1
1. LOOKING NORTHEAST, SOUTH SIDE OF PLATE GIRDER BRIDGE WHICH CARRIED THE INTERURBAN LINE ACROSS THE FOX RIVER. NOTE THE STEEL-FRAME SUPPORTS FOR THE CATENARY. - Illinois Traction System, Fox River Bridge, Spanning Fox River, Ottawa, La Salle County, IL

Significance: In 1903 the Illinois Traction System constructed a bridge across the Fox River sharing the piers of the I&M Canal Fox River Aqueduct." [HAERil0648_data]

HAER ILL, 50-OTWA, 5--8
8. DETAIL OF UNDERSIDE OF RAIL AND CANAL, SOUTH SIDE OF WEST END - Illinois & Michigan Canal, Fox River Aqueduct, Ottawa, La Salle County, IL

"Significance: Part of the original timber frame aqueduct (built 1848) was incorporated into the bridge built by the Illinois Traction system in 1903; reconstruction of the original Fox River aqueduct was carried out in 1918 and 1919 as part of the improvements to the Rockdale-to-Peru section of the canal, the last operating stretch of the I&M." [HAERil0600_data]

This 1915 map shows the CO&P route was not changed to use the 1903 bridge. The interurban still curved south to use the Main Street Bridge.

1915/15 Ottawa Quad @ 62,500 via Dennis DeBruler

The empty piers on the south side carried a vehicle bridge. And the above topo map agrees that it was the Superior Street Bridge.

Street View, Jun 2023

This is old enough to show the Superior Street Bridge.

ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior

ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior

ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior

ArchivedBridgeHunter_rock provides a date of 1899 whereas BridgeHunter_rock has a date of 1919 for the Rock Island Bridge. I'm going with 1919 for today's bridge because the piers make it look like a truss bridge was replaced by a girder bridge.

2011 photo by Steve Conro via BridgeHunter_rock

These two maps are more evidence that the plan to move the CO&P from Main Street to the canal right-of-way did not happen. [Luke's comment on ArchivedBridgeHunter]

This map labels ithe interurban the "Illinois Valley Electric RR."

1906

This map labeled it "Electric RY."

1929

I don't see any evidence of a grade for the CO&P to use the 1903 bridge.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

I can see the trusses of the Superior Street Bridge

Digitally Zoomed

Roger Kujawa posted 13 photos of today's trail bridge with the comment: "Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria railroad bridge Ottawa, Illinois.  The CO&P bridge over the Fox River is next to the Illinois and Michigan canal aqueduct over the Fox River.  Not sure if those are the trolley wire supports or new steel."

Dennis DeBruler: Evidently, CO&P never finished their plan to use this bridge. They continued to use the Main Street Bridge to cross the Fox River. https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2026/05/183819031922-i-canal-aqueduct-and.html

Roger Kujawa shared

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Tom Winkle commented on Roger's post

Not so, Ottawa native here...

The CO&P crossed the Fox River via the Main Street bridge in Ottawa; the line ran west on Main Street and Madison Street, and the CO&P shops were on the west side of Ottawa. Where the shops were is now one of U.S. Silica's sand pits. Here's a map of the line through Ottawa and a photo of the Main Street bridge.

Tom Winkle commented on his comment

Trail/AE&FR Bridge over Fox River between St. Charles & South Elgin, IL

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

AE&FR = Aurora, Elgin & Fox River

It looks like the Fox River is running high.

Claus Mygind, Aug 2023

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos posted
Some exciting news - This interurban bridge photo from Elgin IL is going to be featured in the next issue of Rails to Trails Magazine.  I always give away photos to trail coordinators and nonprofits so if you fit in this category and want to publish something, let me know.

I thought this photo was the same until I noticed that the reflection of the clouds was different.

TrailLink, submitted by omahadivision
"One of the nicest parts of the entire Fox River Trail is the 900 foot [274m] long (including island!) bridge over the Fox River in South Elgin, built on the piers of the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin interurban railway."
[He has specified the wrong interurban. As I indicated at the top of these notes, this was the AE&FR.]

IR/BNSF/BN/CB&Q Bridge over Fox River at Montgomery, IL

(Satellite)

Judging from the skinny piers placed between the middle pier and the shores, this bridge used to have two truss spans.

Street View, Sep 2021

Marty Bernard shared a Flickr link
CB&Q 4960 taking a fan trip across the Fox River Bridge at Montgomery, IL on June 20, 1965. Please look at it full screen.
Robert Chawgo: Beautiful....and the C&S auxiliary water tender.
Marty Bernard posted

CB&Q 4960 Crossing the Fox River at Montgomery, IL

The fantrip was on June 20, 1965.

Marty Bernard shared

Allen Hartman: Is that an extra water tender ?

Jason R Maxwell: Allen Hartman, yes

Elgin Torpedo Sand Co. Bridge over Fox River in Elgin, IL

(Satellite, some of the embankment for the south end still exists)

Willliam Shapotkin posted a photo of a bridge and asked for some information. These notes are a summary of the responses.

A corrected version of the photo was provided by Roy Vombrack.

William's commnet: This undated photo was recently posted by Linda Hoffman on the facebook page "Elgin Nostalgia & History (Elgin, Illinois) USA." According to the information provided, this location is on the east side of the Fox River near Trout Park (which is located just south of the Illinois Tollway (I-90) north of Elgin).

William Shapotkin commented
A fellow (Craig Holmberg) came up with what appears to be the answer: "Possibly it's the one for Elgin Torpedo Sand. This would make it just south of 90 and just west of Trout Park. (from Steam Trains to Lake Geneva)" Map from said book is below [above]:

Roy Vombrack commented
Here's an interesting article from the Elgin Area Historical Society's "The Crackerbarrel" newsletter, Jan. 2008, about the bridge...
(c)2008 Elgin Area Historical Society
[It was a gravel and sand pit. Near the end they even shipped black dirt. The bridge was removed in 1937.]

Roy Vombrack commented
Here's a topographical view from 1925 which shows the bridge and layout of the tracks on the west bank pretty clearly. Notice the one siding that curves around the quarry. (©HistoricAerials)

Dennis DeBruler commented on Roy's comment
Roy Vombrack Here is the same map from USGS where you can get bigger views and you don't have to worry about the copyright.
https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/topoexplorer/index.html
It appears that the east end of Willow Lake was the quarry pit. The bridge is still in the 1940 map, but it is gone in the 1962 map.

Dennis DeBruler commented on his comment
It takes a while for topo maps to be updated. The bridge was gone by 1939.
 https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bwu03012.jpg

Dennis DeBruler commented on his comment
At photo resolution.

1920 BNSF/CB&Q Hurds Island Bridges over Fox River in Aurora, IL

East Channel: (Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; John Marvig; Satellite)

West Channel: (Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; John Marvig; Satellite)

These bridges carry the BNSF/CB&Q mainline over the Fox River. An abandoned bridge for an industrial spur is just upstream from these bridges. And the Fox River bridge for the IR/CB&Q Streator Branch is downstream of these bridges.

A photo of the downstream side of the West Channel Bridge from a trail bridge.

20170401 8350

An "artsy" photo, but it is more useful as a memory aid photo to remind me that I shot it from the trail bridge.

I had a hard time finding a clear view of the bridges because there are trees along the shores of Hurds Island. This is the East Channel Bridge. Note some leaves of the trees are in the river. I made this field trip because the local rivers were running high.

20170725 0614

This is the West Channel Bridge. Note the river was almost on the trail. There were parts of Hurds Island that were under water. In fact, the drive to the parking lot on the island was closed during this trip.

HalstEd caught the river during a more normal flow. Note the extensions on the north side of the pier. They were covered in my July 25, 2017, photo because of the high river level. The extensions must be more than just ice breakers. I presume that they help the current in the river to use the east and center parts of the river rather than pile up against the west bank and cause erosion.

HalstEd Pazdzior posted
RCHI476 over the Fox River.  7/7/22
[Not only did he catch a Blue Bonnet, the BNSF loco is H1.]

Note that during the Apr 1, 2017, trip the river level was right at the top of the extensions. I was able to park on Hurds Island during this trip. (I don't know why the exposure is so dark. Did I catch a lot of glare off the river?)

20170401 8354

Since the leaves were still off the trees, I got a little more of the East Channel Bridge.

On the July 25, 2017, trip, I caught a train going across the East Channel

The train continued to roll across the bridge as I walked on Hurds Island from the east side to the west side. Note the water under the swings because the river was running high.

Jeff Wojciechowski posted
[On the west side of Hurds Island on the downstream side.]

Chuck Pfeiffer posted two photos with the comment: "Saw this parked on the Fox River bridge just south of downtown Aurora earlier this week. That's a horrible spot to park. The bridge has crumbling concrete."

1

2
[This would be the downstream side of the West Channel. HistoricBridges-west points out that this bridge is skewed.]

Dave Kuntz posted
The massive BNSF concrete viaduct over Hurds Island and the Fox River in Aurora.  Looks like it was triple tracked once?  Also note the abandoned EJE bridge in the far background.

Steven E Kakoczki: Yes.....at Hurds Island it had three tracks. Two of them went to Galesburg and one went west....known as the C&I Main.

[Some comments indicate that the C&I Main is now called the Aurora Sub.]

Harold J. Krewer: Employees also prefer to call Chicago-Aurora the "East End," NOT the "Racetrack." "Racetrack" is strictly a foamer term. On the radio today it's STILL the "East End Dispatcher" (along with Union Ave. Dispatcher on first and second trick).

Three mains once extended all the way to where the C&I (Aurora Sub) and the Main Line (which becomes the Mendota Sub at Montgomery) split. When the dinkies were rerouted at West Eola down the hill to the new Transportation Center, the third main got pulled up west of there.

Wonder if anyone in Fort Worth regrets that decision today.

Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla: It’s actually two separate bridges. One over the east channel of the Fox River, one over the west. The west bridge has 3 tracks still, Main 1 & Main 2 westward towards Galesburg and the Aurora siding. The turnout to the C&I Main is over the River St Viaduct, the turnout out to the Sheepyard lead is off the C&I Main just west of River Street. The C&I Main goes west towards Sugar Grove, Rochelle and Savanna in IL on the Aurora Subdivision. The two Galesburg Mains are on the Chicago Subdivision.

Davis Shroomberg: The triple track you refer to on the east bridge was the main lead into the former CB&Q Aurora station, which is also where Q/BN/Metra dinkies would lay over before being moved to the current Metra station at the Roundhouse circa 1988.

Steven Holding: Constructed 1917-1932 with time out for WW! Three tracks to just past the bridge at top over the fox where split 2 to Galesburg middle to the Sheep Yard Now the industrial tracks along Ill. 31 and 1 to the C&I to Savanna with the start of the C&I Siding off to the right. OP Aurora Tower 6/73-12/31/73 Dispatcher Cicero till move to Galesburg then Ft. Worth.

Larry Candilas commented on Dave's post
Lots of tracks in 1967 - definitely three across the bridge