Franklin Street Lower Free Bridge

The Franklin Street Lower Free Fridge, commonly referred to as the Franklin Street Bridge, was a major bridge spanning the Illinois River between Peoria, Illinois and East Peoria, Illinois. Constructed in 1913 after years of accident-prone wooden bridges, the steel-truss bascule bridge would feature a distinct 30 degree curve. The bridge would serve until 1993 when modernization efforts led to its replacement with the Bob Michel Bridge. Both the Franklin Street Bridge and the Bob Michel Bridge carry Illinois Route 40 across the river.

Pre-history

By the mid-19th century, Peoria had become a major stop on the Illinois River, as well as a hub for commerce and manufacturing. East Peoria, primarily swamp land at the time, was hosting more families every year, showing promise of becoming a suburban area to support ever-growing Peoria. There had been a series of wooden bridges linking the two areas. These early bridges often succumbed to floods, ice jams, steamboat collisions, and stress collapses. In one instance, the bridge collapsed in 1850 under the weight of a herd of cattle which fell into the river, although only one cattle was lost. By the turn of the century, it was becoming clear that this crossing needed a more permanent solution.

Franklin Street Bridge

First concrete arch (1909-1910)

The first version of the bridge would only serve for a year after suffering a substantial collapse. It featured a concrete-and-steel arch bridge, which debuted for its grand opening in 1909. It had five spans with a central rolling lift section, spanning 1,124 feet at a width of 25 feet. it had dual sidewalks, molded parapets, handrails, and steel arch ribs. Ultimately, structural issues would arise during construction due to the supporting piers not being seated on solid bedrock. The bridge would collapse shortly after construction with no causalities. The builder, Marsh Bridge Co., went bankrupt over the situation, and the collapsed bridge was left in the water until new builders were contracted.

Steel-truss bascule (1913-1992)

In April 1913, the replacement Franklin Street Bridge, engineered by Milwaukee Bridge Company, opened for IL-40 and foot traffic. It featured a steel truss with a bascule draw span with a notable 30-degree dog-leg skew allowing for the new piers to sit on bedrock and bypass the previously failed foundation. While structurally sound for nearly 80 years, the bridge became obsolete as cars became larger, leading to narrow lanes. Its off-center curve caused frequent boat collisions and was ultimately viewed as challenging by mariners passing under the bridge. In 1993, the Franklin Street Bridge was intentionally removed to make way for the Bob Michel Bridge.