The Florence Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that carries Illinois Route 100 (IL 100) and IL 106 across the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the ...

from

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

Scott County, Illinois Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 5,355, making it the fourth-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Winchester. Scott County is part of the Ja ...

. The bridge is the middle of the three Illinois River crossings on IL 100, with the other two in Hardin (South of Florence) and Beardstown (North of Florence). From its opening in 1929 until 1991, it carried U.S. Route 36 (US 36) and IL 100. In 1991, Interstate 72 (I-72) and the

Valley City Eagle Bridges The Valley City Eagle Bridges is a set of bridges that carry Interstate 72 and U.S. Route 36 across the Illinois River. The bridge is located near Valley City, Illinois, the smallest municipality in the state. Description The bridges are post ...

were completed upstream, and US 36 was designated onto I-72, with the old route signed as IL 106 (IL 100 was not rerouted). The bridge was rehabilitated in 1981, and again in 2004. The second time, the bridge was closed due to the need to replace the deck. Traffic was detoured to I-72. In 2012, the bridge's lifting mechanism that allows barge traffic to pass under the bridge had serious problems, and continued use could affect the structural integrity of the span. Therefore, the span was raised and the bridge closed for nine months for repairs, using I-72 as a detour. The bridge reopened on April 22, 2013. On June 20, 2019, barges pushed by a tugboat struck the bridge in multiple places, causing visible damage. The bridge was closed for emergency repairs, and traffic was detoured over I-72.

Proposed Replacement

A Illinois 100/106, Florence Bridge, River Crossing Study was started in April 2016 by the state of Illinois, and was initially anticipated to take three years to complete. This study represents the Phase I, planning portion of the project, which provides preliminary engineering and environmental impact evaluation to guide the project in future phases of work. Phase I studies were scheduled for completion in fall 2020. The replacement of the Florence Bridge is included in the Illinois Department of Transportation's FY 2021-2026 Highway Improvement Program which includes funding for preliminary & construction engineering, archeology surveys, land acquisition, utility relocations and construction. The state determined that the bridge, built in 1929, was both "structurally deficient" and "functionally obsolete". IDOT has hosted three public hearing for the Phase I Study of the Illinois River Bridge at Florence, Illinois along the Scott/Pike County line, with the most recent held on Thursday, September 10, 2020, for the purpose of explaining the alternative alignments for the proposed replacement bridg

References

External links

Florence Bridge
at Bridgehunter.com
IDoT press release telling of bridge's reopening
*{{Cite journal , last1=Newman , first1=Jeff , last2=Forest , first2=Geoff , date=April 2014 , title=Up & At 'Em , journal=Modern Steel Construction , url=http://modernsteel.com/Uploads/Issues/April_2014/042014_Up&.pdf , pages=24–26 Bridges completed in 1929 Bridges in Pike County, Illinois Bridges over the Illinois River Transportation in Scott County, Illinois Vertical lift bridges in Illinois U.S. Route 36 1929 establishments in Illinois

Proposed Replacement

See also

References

External links