Illinois River Bridge Incident

The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge was involved in an incident Monday evening. The Peoria Journal Star posted an article Tuesday. You can read that here. 

The structure itself opened in 1911 (replacing a bridge built in 1872), but the bascule leaf needed replacement for improved safety of commercial navigation. The present lift bridge was installed in 1984. 

It is believed that the bridgetender lowered the structure too soon, and ripped off the towboat's pilot. 

The writer failed to interpret the railroad spokesman's remarks regarding the bridge's ownership, so I'll do it for him.

About 8:20 p.m., the towboat approached what is commonly known as the PPU (Peoria and Pekin Union Railway) Bridge. Near the foot of the bridge, a bridge-tending building carries a logo for the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, owned by Connecticut-based railroad-holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Michael Williams, spokesperson for Genesee & Wyoming, said Tazewell & Peoria operates the rail line but leases the bridge, which is owned by multiple entities. He referred to the bridge as the “Illinois River Drawbridge.”

(1) It is "P&PU," or "Peoria & Pekin Union Railway." (substituting "and" for an "$" for names imbedded in text is a pet peeve of mine.)

(2) The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad leases the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway, which owns the bridge. The P&PU is owned by Canadian National Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.

In 2017, I created this video on the bridge.


- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. Todd BehrendsJanuary 10, 2019 at 8:22 PM

    The Peoria & Pekin Union Railway still exists, but is leased to the Tazwell & Peoria, which is owned by Genesee & Wyoming?

    ReplyDelete
  2. David P. JordanJanuary 11, 2019 at 12:07 AM

    Yes, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. created a subsidiary, Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Inc., to lease the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway for 20 years, beginning November 1, 2004. Last I knew (2012), Christine E. Marron served as P&PU president, most likely to act as landlord for owners Canadian National, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific.

    ReplyDelete

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