October 11, 2010
A Bridge over the Turtle Creek
Striding the border between Illinois and Wisconsin, embodying and delineating what we can truly say call the "stateline" is this rusty, neglected, and long-closed bridge. Is this something worth saving and using? An asset or a liability? Useful or scrap?
Seen from the south (Illinois) side:
Seen from the north (Wisconsin) side:
Looks pretty bad, huh? Pretty scary, right? It's a harbor for the homeless and youth gangs. Full of broken glass and metal.
Looking south (Illinois) on east side of bridge:
Looking north (Wisconsin) on east side of bridge:
I want to make this my next "project" -- to see to it that this old bridge gets rehabilitated into a useful pedestrian and bicycle roadway. Note I said "rehabilitated" meaning it's not torn down and replaced, but restored to a safe, working bridge while maintaining its rusty, crusty, old-iron and steel character.
Pretty grim stuff.
Lots of people would have us employ resources to stop the scourge of cancer, end child abuse, and hundreds of other worthy causes, so who cares about a rusty old bridge that most people don't even know exists?
But beauty is there, just waiting to be seen.
Looking west from the center of the bridge:
As I understand it, the actual border is on the Wisconsin side of the north entrance. That means a majority of the responsibility for any restoration project will rely on the vagaries of politics on the often bizarre, and always confusing, South Beloit City Council. (On the bright side, at least it's not the Town of Beloit.)
Lost cause? Not worth it? Great potential? What do you think? Want to help?
Seen from the south (Illinois) side:
Seen from the north (Wisconsin) side:
Looks pretty bad, huh? Pretty scary, right? It's a harbor for the homeless and youth gangs. Full of broken glass and metal.
Looking south (Illinois) on east side of bridge:
Looking north (Wisconsin) on east side of bridge:
I want to make this my next "project" -- to see to it that this old bridge gets rehabilitated into a useful pedestrian and bicycle roadway. Note I said "rehabilitated" meaning it's not torn down and replaced, but restored to a safe, working bridge while maintaining its rusty, crusty, old-iron and steel character.
Pretty grim stuff.
Lots of people would have us employ resources to stop the scourge of cancer, end child abuse, and hundreds of other worthy causes, so who cares about a rusty old bridge that most people don't even know exists?
But beauty is there, just waiting to be seen.
Looking west from the center of the bridge:
As I understand it, the actual border is on the Wisconsin side of the north entrance. That means a majority of the responsibility for any restoration project will rely on the vagaries of politics on the often bizarre, and always confusing, South Beloit City Council. (On the bright side, at least it's not the Town of Beloit.)
Lost cause? Not worth it? Great potential? What do you think? Want to help?
