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Historic Route 66 railroad overpass slated for demolition

The Edwardsville Intelligencer is reporting that at least one Edwardsville resident doesn't want to see the old railroad bridge that crossed Illlinois Route 157 -- a former alignment of historic Roue 66 -- near Esic Drive demolished.

"It's part of the Mother Road," John Fritsche told the Intelligencer. "People weren't aware that this was going to happen."

The significance of this to cyclists is that the overpass is on the route of Madison County Transit's Schoolhouse Connector Trail, which will connect the Watershed Trail in Edwardsville with the Schoolhouse Trail at Illinois Route 162 near Maryville.

Route 157 is being rerouted, so the overpass isn't needed. The new trail will go beneath the rerouted Route 157, and plans call for the overpass the abandoned road to be removed and replaced with fill before the trail is constructed.

Jerry Kane, executive director of Madison County Transit, said when MCT looked at the highway plan, it didn't make much sense to try to save a bridge over a non-existent roadway.

"A study would have to be done on that bridge and that would have been expensive," Kane told the Intelligencer. "Then, it would have had to be redecked and railings added on, another expense."

IDOT Field Engineer John Scheibal said the bridge is scheduled for removal in the next 30 days or so.

I'm sure fans of the Mother Road would prefer the overpass stay in place. I agree it would be nice if the overpass could stay in place, especially if Mother Road advocates can make a solid case why the overpass should be saved.

But, given MCT's exceptional track record of building trails in Madison County, I'm willing to accept Kane's judgment on this one.

Roger 0 comments 6:42 PM