Historic Bridges of Bureau County
Captain Swift Bridge Location: West of Princeton (Directions) From North Main St. in Princeton, turn west on Backbone Road at (Beck’s Gas Station) to Epperson Road and turn left. Go 1 mile and road will fork. Take the right fork and the Bridge will be around the curve. You can also take W. Railroad Ave in Princeton to Epperson Road and turn left. When the 90-year-old, steel bridge over Big Bureau Creek in Princeton Township needed replacement, the Township envisioned a timber covered bridge that would complement the picturesque rural landscape of the area. An innovative design from Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Inc. made the bridge economical by requiring the minimum amount of wood possible. Built entirely out of wood using 1800’s concepts, the Captain Swift Timber Covered Bridge offers two traffic lanes, a 16’-3” vertical clearance, a 28-foot minimum roadway width, and bragging rights as the only two-lane, all-timber covered bridge in Illinois. The bridge was completed in 2006. Though it has the look and feel of a 19th century covered bridge, the Captain Swift Bridge was designed to 21st century safety and traffic standards through a unique meld of modern materials, historical accuracy, and innovative design. What may appear as an old fashioned timber bridge is truly a modern engineering marvel. The bridge uses a burr arch in combination with an inverted kingpost truss. The burr arch was patented in 1804, and the kingpost truss was the most common truss used in the 19th century for timber covered bridges. Rather than using timber solids, glulam (glue-laminated wood, stronger than solid timber and fabricate-able in any length) was used for the main load-carrying components. An all-wood structure raised concerns about fire protection, so spray-on fire retardants were used and heat detectors, installed and linked to the sheriff’s department and fire station. While the initial cost of the timber covered bridge surpasses that for an equitable steel structure, the wood will not deteriorate from winter salt, and the roof will protect the structure and extend its life. The Captain Swift Bridge may last 150 years or more. Simple Pleasures, Hidden Treasures
4
www.bureaucounty-il.com
