McClugage Bridge

Details
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Service: Bridge design
Project Cost: $35 million
Client/Owner: Illinois Department of Transportation, Region 3/District 4
Completed: 1982

Description
The McClugage Bridge in Peoria, Ill., consists of two parallel truss bridges that carry U.S. routes 150 and 24 over the Illinois River and the Rock Island Railroad. The bridges connect growing communities on the east side of the river to Peoria's developing north side. The McClugage Bridge is the second most heavily traveled river crossing in Peoria with approximately 42,000 cars crossing the bridge daily.

The original bridge is a two-lane structure, approximately 30 feet wide and nearly 4,750 feet long. Designed in 1939 and constructed in the post-war years, it consists of 29 spans, highlighted by a 1,500-foot, three-span through truss. Because of the increased industrialization in Peoria and Tazewell counties, the original bridge's two lanes were inadequate for the increasing traffic volumes.

(In 2000, Hanson also assisted with the $27 million rehabilitation of the original McClugage Bridge and provided construction engineering services.)

Services
Hanson provided a preliminary and a final design study for a new bridge that would aesthetically complement the original bridge and carry westbound traffic over the river. The original bridge now carries only eastbound traffic.

The new bridge, a two-lane structure with a 42-foot-wide deck, is 4,745 feet long with 23 spans. The structural features of the new bridge include: a 1,534-foot-long, three-span cantilever through truss with a 626-foot center span; five three-span continuous-haunched plate girder units varying in length from 530 to 679 feet in length; and two three-span curved-plate girder units with radii of 205 and 477 feet.

Awards
The McClugage Bridge has two noteworthy awards to add to its credits, including: the Illinois Outstanding Civil Engineer Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Partnership for Highway Quality (awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation).