Bolivia Road Bridge, Steel bridge in Mount Auburn Township, US
Bolivia Road Bridge is a steel truss bridge that spans the North Fork of the Sangamon River and connects Sangamon County with Christian County. The structure showcases the Parker through truss design, an engineering method commonly used in the early twentieth century for river crossings.
The structure was built in 1901 by J.T. Garrett from St. Louis and represents key engineering techniques of the early twentieth century. It remained in service for over a hundred years before operational concerns led to its closure.
The bridge takes its name from the former settlement of Bolivia, pronounced 'Bolivee' by local residents of central Illinois. That community moved southward when railroad expansion changed the region.
The bridge is currently closed to public traffic and not passable for vehicles. Visitors can view the structure from outside to appreciate its historical Parker truss engineering design.
A 1994 Department of Transportation survey identified this bridge as one of only seven remaining Parker through truss bridges in Illinois. Following a traffic accident in 2015, county officials made the permanent closure decision.
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