The Airtight Bridge is a steel bridge spanning the Embarras River in Coles County, Illinois, in the United States 8 miles (13 km) north of Charleston, Illinois. The bridge is a Pratt through truss bridge with a steel structure, a wooden deck, and concrete piers. The bridge was built in 1914 by the Decatur Bridge Company and designed by engineer Claude L. James.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[1] It reportedly got its name from the unnatural stillness encountered when crossing it.
Airtight Bridge | |
 Eastern portal | |
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| Nearest city | Charleston, IL |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°33′18″N 88°05′22″W / 39.55500°N 88.08944°W |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Claude L. James |
| MPS | Coles County Highway Bridges Over the Embarras River TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000211 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 30, 1981 |
Airtight Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°33′18″N 88°05′22″W / 39.55500°N 88.08944°W |
| Carries | Township road 275 |
| Crosses | Embarras River |
| Locale | 8 miles NE of Charleston, Illinois |
| ID number | 3165 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pratt through truss |
| Total length | 188 feet 4 inches |
| Width | 15 feet 7 inches |
| Clearance above | 13 feet 7 inches |
| History | |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Location | |
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In 1980, a dismembered corpse was found on the east bank of the river 30 yards downstream from the bridge, leading to significant local press attention. Police investigated for years, but were unable to determine the identity of the victim until 1992, when DNA testing produced a match to a missing person from Kankakee, Illinois. Once a cold case investigated by the Illinois State Police, the victim's husband was charged with the murder on March 2, 2017.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Bridge Inventory Form: Airtight Bridge" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ Clark, Bonnie (December 5, 2008). "Airtight Bridge murder victim honored by daughter who barely knew her". Journal Gazette & Times-Courier. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
External links
edit- Airtight Bridge at the Association for the Preservation of Historic Coles County Illinois
- Airtight Bridge at the Legends and Lore of Illinois
- Murder at the Airtight Bridge[usurped]
- Airtight Bridge Murder Mystery (Archived 2009-10-24)
- Jonathon Kirk's Experimental Radio Documentary focused on the murder at Airtight Bridge
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