Des Plaines River Valley Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Des Plaines River Valley Bridge is a post-tensioned concrete girder bridge in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state
of Illinois
. It carries Interstate 355
over the Des Plaines River
, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
, the Illinois and Michigan Canal
, several railroad lines, Bluff Road, New Avenue and a forest preserve.
This is officially named the Veterans Memorial Bridge. There are title plaques on the square pillars at the North and South entrances to the bridge. The bridge is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long.
The bridge consists of 34 piers from 10 feet (3 m) to 75 feet (23 m) in height. A lower level bridge was also built for maintenance purposes, and to carry a bicycle trail that will connect other bicycle trails in the area. The total height of the bridge ranges from 80 feet (24 m) to 100 feet (30 m). The height of the bridge allows the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
to fly safely beneath the bridge, away from the flow of traffic.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It carries Interstate 355
Interstate 355
Interstate 355 , also known as the Veterans Memorial Tollway, is an Interstate Highway and tollway in the western and southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Like most other toll roads in the northeastern portion of the state, I-355 is maintained by a State Highway Authority...
over the Des Plaines River
Des Plaines River
The Des Plaines River is a river that flows southward for through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the U.S. Midwest, eventually meeting the Kankakee River west of Channahon to form the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi River....
, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, historically known as the Chicago Drainage Canal, is the only shipping link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system, by way of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers...
, the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Illinois and Michigan Canal
The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois, on the Illinois River. It was finished in 1848 when Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over its opening; and it allowed boat transportation from the Great...
, several railroad lines, Bluff Road, New Avenue and a forest preserve.
This is officially named the Veterans Memorial Bridge. There are title plaques on the square pillars at the North and South entrances to the bridge. The bridge is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long.
The bridge consists of 34 piers from 10 feet (3 m) to 75 feet (23 m) in height. A lower level bridge was also built for maintenance purposes, and to carry a bicycle trail that will connect other bicycle trails in the area. The total height of the bridge ranges from 80 feet (24 m) to 100 feet (30 m). The height of the bridge allows the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
The Hine's Emerald Dragonfly is a dragonfly in the family Corduliidae.Globally, the species is extremely rare. The largest breeding population known is in Door County, Wisconsin...
to fly safely beneath the bridge, away from the flow of traffic.