Discover the 15 Longest Bridges in Illinois

Source：AZ Animals Time：January 18, 2024

Prairie grass once covered much of Illinois, earning the state one of its nicknames — the Prairie State. However, being a leading producer of corn, it’s also known as the Corn State. Yet another nickname, the Lincoln State, refers to its being home to Abraham Lincoln for 31 years of his life.

One moniker, though, that Illinois hasn’t been christened is the Bridge State. However, with 26,873 bridges within its borders, perhaps the name would be just as fitting as the other epithets. A total of 87,110 miles of rivers and streams flow through Illinois, and 880 miles of rivers border the state. Therefore, it’s no wonder bridges are a ubiquitous sight throughout the state.

In this article, we take a look at the longest of this state’s bridges. Fifteen are over 3,000 feet long. Read on to discover the 15 longest bridges in Illinois.

15. Interstate 74 Bridge

Discover the 15 Longest Bridges in Illinois — Formally known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, the I-74 Bridge connects Bettendorf, IA, and Moine, IL.
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Spanning the Mississippi River, the I-74 Bridge is a 3,372-foot expanse built in 1935. It was originally designed to accommodate 48,000 vehicle crossings a day, but that average increased to 80,000 quickly. Because of the deterioration of its infrastructure, the Illinois Department of Transportation constructed a new bridge. They officially dedicated it in 2021.

14. Quincy Memorial Bridge

Originally built in 1930, the Quincy Memorial Bridge still functions as the connection between Missouri and Qunicy, IL, via U.S. Highway 24. This bridge is the fourteenth-longest bridge in Illinois. Its 3,510 feet of structurally sound expanse serves daily traffic crossings across the Mississippi River.

13. Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

This 3,953-foot bridge is named for the southeast Missouri congressman who led the bridge’s funding efforts. Mr. Emerson worked hard to get the Federal Highway Administration to fund the project. Sadly, though, he died a month before the FHWA awarded the bridge contract in 1996.

12. Thebes Bridge

With five cantilevered bridge spans, the Thebes Bridge is 3,959 feet long. The South Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company owns the bridge, which connects Illmo, MO, with Thebes, IL.

11. Rock Island Centennial Bridge

With a total length of 4,447 feet, the Rocks Island Centennial Bridge was opened in 1940. Though its official name is the Master Sargeant Stanley W. Talbot Memorial Bridge, people often refer to it more commonly as the Centennial Bridge.

10. Mark Twain Memorial Bridge

The original bridge by the same name was built in 1936 but demolished in 2000. The new Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened in 2000 and is just north of the original. It is 4,491 feet long and carries I-72 and U.S. Highway 36 traffic between Missouri and Illinois.

9. Quincy Bayview Bridge

The 4,507 feet of the Quincy Bayview Bridge carries traffic between Quincy, MO, and Quincy, IL. While the bridge serves effectively as a connection between the two towns, it is also aesthetically pleasing. That’s due to the computer-controlled lights that display 16 different color sequences in stunning nighttime light shows.

8. The Mile-Long Bridge

The original bridge was built in 1958, but it was reconstructed during the 2019 to 2023 period. Located in a suburb of Chicago, the Mile-Long Bridge traverses the Des Plaines River, the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, two railroad lines, and an intermodal facility. Its 4,608 feet make it just short of a full mile.

7. Clark Bridge

This 4,620-foot bridge was featured in a NOVA documentary called Super Bridge. Constructed in 1994 to replace the original 1928 bridge — both named after the explorer William Clark — the new bridge spans the Mississippi River between Alton, IL, and West Alton, MO.

6. McClugage Bridge

The original bridge was begun in 1939. However, with the onset of World War II, it wasn’t finished until 1948. In 1982, the bridge acquired another three-lane span just north of the existing bridge. When the 4,745-foot bridge was rehabilitated in 2000, three ironworkers were killed in a construction-related accident.

5. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

This bridge opened to the public in 1929 and was once used by U.S. Route 66. The 5,353-foot expanse spans the Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO, and Chouteau Island, IL. It became an addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

4. Eads Bridge

The 6,442-foot arch bridge connects St. Louis, MO, to East St. Louis, IL. The bridge’s construction began in 1867, but it didn’t open to the public until 1874. Closed to traffic from 1991 to 2004 for restoration, Eads Bridge now transports both vehicular and pedestrian traffic across the Mississippi. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

3. Des Plaines River Valley Bridge

This bridge is 1.3 miles long — or 6,864 feet. It spans the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the Des Plaines River as it transports I-355 traffic across its post-tensioned concrete girder expanse. Interestingly, the bridge’s height was designed to allow the endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly to fly safely away from traffic beneath the bridge.

2. Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge

With four lanes to carry I-39 traffic across the Illinois River, Illinois Route 351, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal, the Lincoln Memorial Bridge was originally built in 1987. The 7,122-foot bridge is 619.9 feet at its longest span. It connects LaSalle to Oglesby, IL.

1. MacArthur Bridge

While some people think of the MacArthur Bridge as part of Missouri, it connects St.Louis to East St. Louis, IL. Named for General Douglas MacArthur, the bridge was opened in 1917. However, the upper auto deck closed in 1981. The Terminal Railroad launched a renovation project in 2022. This extensive construction measures 18,261 feet long.

Summary of 15 Longest Bridges in Illinois

Number	Bridge	Length
15	Interstate 74 Bridge	3,372 feet
14	Quincy Memorial Bridge	3,510 feet
13	Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge	3,953 feet
12	Thebes Bridge	3,959 feet
11	Rock Island Centennial Bridge	4,447 feet
10	Mark Twain Memorial Bridge	4,491 feet
9	Quincy Bayview Bridge	4,507 feet
8	Mile-Long Bridge	4,608 feet
7	Clark Bridge	4,620 feet
6	McClugage Bridge	4,745 feet
5	Old Chain of Rocks Bridge	5,353 feet
4	Eads Bridge	6,442 feet
3	Des Plaines River Valley Bridge	6,864 feet
2	Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge	7,122 feet
1	MacArthur Bridge	18,261 feet