McClugage Bridge

McClugage Bridge
McClugage Bridge from the east side of the Illinois River.
Official name	McClugage Bridge
Carries	5 lanes (3 WB, 2 EB) of US 24 / US 150
Crosses	Illinois River
Locale	Peoria, Illinois
Maintained by	Illinois Department of Transportation
ID number	WB: 000090011505461 EB: 000090007019729[1]
Design	Dual Cantilever bridges
Total length	4,745.1 ft (1446.3 m)[1]
Width	WB: 39.0 ft (11.9 m) EB: 28.9 ft (8.8 m)[1]
Longest span	190 m
Load limit	WB: 77.2 metric tons EB: 55.8 metric tons[1]
Clearance below	14.9 m[1]
Opened	WB: 1982 EB: 1948, reconstructed 2000
Daily traffic	40,400 (combined)[2]
Coordinates	40°43′12″N 89°32′45″W / 40.72000°N 89.54583°W / 40.72000; -89.54583Coordinates: 40°43′12″N 89°32′45″W / 40.72000°N 89.54583°W / 40.72000; -89.54583

The McClugage Bridge carries U.S. Route 24 and U.S. Route 150 over Upper Peoria Lake in the Illinois River in Illinois, United States. The bridge's official name honors David H. McClugage, mayor of Peoria from 1937 to 1941. The crossing is actually composed of two bridges, one carrying westbound traffic and one carrying eastbound traffic.

Southern span

The original span of the McClugage Bridge was designed as a steel cantilever bridge in 1939^[3] to replace the Upper Free Bridge, an existing bridge across a narrow stretch of Upper Peoria Lake. Due to World War II, the bridge was not completed until 1948.^[4] The southern span was rehabilitated in 2000. During rehabilitation, an accident in 2000 killed three iron workers when scaffolding on the bridge collapsed 62 feet (19 m) into the river. Due to this tragedy, there was an effort to change the name of the bridge to "Ironworkers Memorial Bridge". However, instead of the name change, the iron workers were memorialized by a monument near the bridge that was dedicated in April 2001.^[5]

Northern span

An additional 3-lane span of similar style was constructed immediately north of the existing bridge in 1982.^[3] Currently, the northern three-lane span carries westbound traffic and the original southern 2-lane span carries eastbound traffic.

• 

  Ironworkers Memorial, located near Grand View Drive

References

Crossings of the Illinois River Upstream Chillicothe Rail Bridge McClugage Bridge Downstream Murray Baker Bridge