The Lost Bridge Trail is a
rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
in
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located near the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 196,343. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital.
Sangamon County is inclu ...
. It was built by the
Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers f ...
(IDOT) along an abandoned
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
corridor between the east side of
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...
to the center of
Rochester, Illinois
Rochester is a village and suburb of Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,689 at the 2010 census, and 3,713 at a 2018 estimate. The village was settled in 1819, and is located in Rochester Township.
Roch ...
.
The west end of the trail is on the southeast side of Springfield, off the South Dirksen Parkway (). The east end of the trail is in Rochester, at the Community Drive interchange of
illinois Route 29
Illinois Route 29 (IL 29) is a two to four lane state highway that runs south from U.S. Route 6/ Illinois Route 89 at Spring Valley to U.S. Route 51/Illinois Route 16 at Pana, running through Pekin, Peoria and Springfield. The nearest major ...
().
The trail crosses the South Fork of the
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 in central Illinois in the United Sta ...
near Rochester, and crosses
Sugar Creek near Springfield. Sugar Creek carries the outflow from
Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield is a reservoir in the southeast of the capital city of Springfield, Illinois. It is above sea level. The lake was formed by building Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River. It is the largest munic ...
, a sizable nearby reservoir. The ''Lost Bridge'' trail name recalls IDOT's failure to prevent salvagors affiliated with the B&O from dismantling the Sugar Creek bridge for scrap. IDOT had to build a new bridge.
Population in the trail's Rochester service area is growing rapidly. Springfield is the county's employment center, and the Lost Bridge Trail is available for use by
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...
commuters who live in Sangamon County's southeast townships. The trail is managed jointly by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the village of Rochester.
The same railroad right-of-way is also used for a separate trail, the ''Lincoln Prairie Trail'', which connects
Taylorville with
Pana
Pana or PANA may refer to:
*Napakiak Airport (ICAO code), airport in Napakiak, Alaska
*Pana (mythology), a god in Inuit religion
*PANA, in telecommunications, a Plain ANAlog loop Alarm circuit
*Protocol for carrying Authentication for Network Ac ...
along the same railroad bed.
The trail has also been extended further into the Springfield city limits via the Bunn to Lost Bridge Trail, which follows small stretches of Ash Street and Taylor Avenue in Springfield. Future plans are calling for this section of trail to extend further still and meet dedicated bike lanes along Stanford Avenue.
References
External links
Illinois Department of TransportationVillage of Rochester
Rail trails in Illinois
Protected areas of Sangamon County, Illinois
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
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