THE FRANKLIN STREET BRIDGE
Crowds assembled once again
(
probably with fingers crossed) in
April of 1913 to dedicate the new
Franklin Street Bridge. Mayor
Woodruff rode in a Peoria-built
Glide Automobile with 87-year-
old Jacob Koch, who had watched
“
Old Tooth Picks” being built in
1848
on the same site.
The Franklin Street Bridge was
a steel truss bridge with a bascule
to allow boat traffic to pass.
Though it lasted 80 years, the
bridge was always frightening to
pass over because it had a two-
lane deck that was too narrow. It
also had a bend in the center that
was not curved and was difficult
to maneuver.
As boats approached the
bridge, the alignment was off
center and it was difficult to
judge the clearance. There were
many accidents.
THE BOB MICHEL BRIDGE
In 1993, a new steel girder
bridge was opened. With four
lanes and a length of 2,365 feet,
rising 63 feet above the water,
Peoria’s vehicle and boat woes
ended.
This bridge replaced the
Franklin Street Bridge.
The bridge was named
after Peoria High and Bradley
University graduate Robert
Michel. He was a decorated
World War II veteran who
served as our United States
Congressman from 1956 to
1995,
serving as Congressional
Minority Leader since 1981.
The modern expansive bridge
span is a fitting tribute to one of
America’s greatest mediators and
patriots.
Connecting downtown Peoria
with the busiest retail area of East
Peoria as well as Caterpillar Inc.’s
top manufacturing facilities, the
Bob Michel Bridge has a lot of
traffic every day.
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thePeorian.com
The Past
The Franklin Street Bridge shown here was the last drawbridge over the Illinois River
connecting Peoria with East Peoria. It was replaced by the Bob Michel Bridge in 1993.
Photo by Robert Guice.
