Old Renwick Road Bridge

There are very few single lane bridges in northeast Illinois remaining, and for mostly good reasons, as the ones that remain are typically substandard and have a streak of being hit by box trucks.

Nonetheless, one that I was very sad to see close was in the town adjacent to my hometown, Plainfield's truss bridge over the DuPage River.

Roger McCredie, Photographer, December 1991 

In a historical narrative about the bridge, historian John B Nolan noted that, as of 1995, it was "the last surviving through truss in Will County, and an example of a bridge type once familiar in Illinois. This truss, built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company."

Before I realized that railroad rights of way were often easily identifiable via aerial images, one of my favorite pastimes was to look at old and unique railroad crossings on Google Maps. 

However, this particular crossing wasn't one I'd discovered on Google, but rather out on one of my frequent drives to nowhere; the EJE (now CN) crossing then-Renwick Road.

Google Street View image of the crossing post closure.

After finding this crossing and the single lane bridge immediately past it, I was quite upset to learn that it was close to closing, as a new bridge was being built a few hundred feet to its north, along with a new, modern, gated crossing.

When this barricade first popped up, I was very unhappy, to say the least.

Renwick Road became Old Renwick Rd, and the crossing closed in 2011. However, the bridge still stands today as a pedestrian bridge of sorts. I say of sorts, because it isn't connected to any trails, as residential areas adjoin either side of the river, and while there's nothing stopping anyone from walking on it, there is no path leading to it either. 

The view of the new Renwick Rd from the old bridge.

I hope the Plainfield Park District eventually connects this bridge to Mather Woods, which is directly north of the present-day Renwick Rd, as this would make a crown jewel of a connection. For now, it sits in a state of limbo; not exactly abandoned, but also not incorporated into either a pedestrian or road network. I must nonetheless credit the Village for preserving and keeping open the bridge, as I would be far more angry to have it be demolished.

The bridge's east end. Hard to imagine there was a road here, but there was, and such a recent one that I've driven it several times!

According to Nolan, "Although the locally accepted date of construction of the bridge is 1912, the truss details incorporate practices common in the 1880s and 1890s. An early photo of the bridge identifies the location as Springbank, a name not familiar to local historians but which may have indicated the natural high bank of the River Road east approach as distinguished from the lower fording location nearby on the north.

The crossing road, currently named Renwick Road, one time southern limit of Plainfield's suburban spread, continues east to Renwick Lake, two miles distant. The lake is named for Mr. Frank W. Renwick, one of the three founders of Chicago Gravel Company which, in 1913, developed gravel pit operations to supply ballast for railroads. Excavation ceased in the 1950s and the lake, now protected, is a rookery for egrets, herons and cormorants."

A southern look down the DuPage on a dreary February afternoon.

This was a bit harrowing to walk through, if my phone slipped, it almost certainly would have fallen through the cracks.

My only complaint about the bridge's current state, aside from the lack of trail access, is the large amount of graffiti inside the bridge. I don't care about graffiti that is artistic and done well, but that goes out the window when it espouses racially motivated hatred. Do better Plainfield.

The engineering record for this bridge was done in 1995 in anticipation of a 1996 closure; however, this didn't occur until 2011. 
The west end of the eastern Old Renwick Rd east of the DuPage River. I can easily see this becoming the beginning of a bike trail similar to Wheaton's Prairie Path!


Another southward view of the River

Shadows from vehicle traffic still remain on the bridge today, over 15 years since regular vehicular traffic occurred on it!

West of the bridge looking west along Old Renwick. Again, it's surprising how much nature has reclaimed of the road in a relatively short time!

One last eastern view of the bridge before heading home.

Thanks as always for reading!



Location: 24927 W Renwick Rd, Plainfield, IL 60544, USA

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