Lockport's Abandoned Bridge Over the Des Plaines: Division Street Bridge

The Division Street Bridge in Lockport, IL is currently closed to all traffic (including pedestrian traffic) and hidden behind growth. It once carried traffic across the Des Plaines River, although lost importance once the IL 7 bridge was completed.

Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit photo (Jan. 2025)

The bridge approach is only accessible via IL 53 on the west side of the Des Plaines River/Sanitary Ship Canal.

Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit Photo (Aug. 2018)

According to HistoricBridges, "this abandoned bridge which is closed to all traffic carried Division Street over Des Plaines River. 

"Division Street Bridge over the Des Plaines River" - Courtesy of Lewis University.

At one time an additional bridge, a swing bridge which is today gone, would have carried the street over the Sanitary and Ship Canal to the east as well. 

Lockport Historic District, Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, Swing Bridge, Sixteenth Street, Lockport, Will County, IL (Library of Congress)

That bridge was closed in 1993 when a high level bridge was constructed for IL 7 about three quarters of a mile north of this bridge.

Lockport Historic District, Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, Swing Bridge, Sixteenth Street, Lockport, Will County, IL (Library of Congress)

"Historical Photo of the Day: Workers pause for a photo while re-decking the 16th Street Bridge (now Division Street) over the Des Plaines River in Lockport, Illinois, on October 23, 1923, viewed to the east." (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago)

Dennis DeBruler has an excellent write-up on the history of this bridge, so I suggest checking that out as well.

Here's another shot of the bridge. Courtesy of Lewis University.

I returned to the area in January 2025 to give this blog a fresh coat of paint, and to do a bit of exploring of the adjacent Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. 

In the shadow of IL 53 and the Sanitary and Ship Canal lies Lockport Prairie, a globally rare ecosystem preserved against the odds. The area, once dismissed as unusable due to its shallow dolomite bedrock, has become a sanctuary for endangered species like the leafy prairie clover and Hine’s emerald dragonfly. Over six years, $8.3 million was invested to restore its natural flow processes and remove invasive species. Today, Lockport Prairie stands as a testament to ecological resilience, offering a unique habitat for plants and wildlife, including species found nowhere else on Earth. The transformation has been profound, with the restoration revealing an expansive, thriving prairie where once only dense cattails reigned.

Preserved thanks to foresight in the 1970s and ongoing efforts by agencies like the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Army Corps of Engineers, Lockport Prairie demonstrates the delicate balance required to maintain such rare environments. Botanist Julianne Mason emphasizes the site’s uniqueness, where thin soils nurture plants that survive in only a few places worldwide. While challenges from invasive species persist, the project has ensured this prairie remains a vital refuge for generations to come.

A seldom-used rail line lines the western edge of Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve July 2, 2024. In the distance, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal rises above the preserve’s eastern boundary. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown) [Chicago Tribune]

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (note the area northwest of this parcel; this is where the Material Services Railroad that hauled material from what is now Lake Plainfield connected to the EJ&E Bug Line.

The Will County Forest Preserve acquired the area in 2011 and 2015, but before acquiring the parcels outright, leased them from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

While vehicle traffic is not allowed on the bridge itself, Division St extends all the way to the bridge, so you're more than welcome to drive right up to it. 

Visiting in January gives you much more of a view of the bridge and surrounding river without the brush that was present in August.

The Will County Forest Preserve added another set of gates in front of the bridge. I wonder what the story is behind that.

There are numerous warnings not to trespass onto the bridge and gates preventing anyone from doing so easily (I did not venture onto the bridge itself and do not condone doing so either).

The bridge is barely wide enough for a single vehicle; it must have been a harrowing experience going over this when it was active!

An icy Des Plaines River is about 20 feet below you, but there were numerous ducks in the area that made a cacophony of quacks as I took in my surroundings.

Looking north along the rest of Lockport Prairie. You can see the IL 7 bridge in the background if you look carefully, although the area is still nice and wide open, and being in the valley invites a greater sense of peace than you might otherwise expect, as all of the development is either east of the river, or above you on 53 about 2000 feet west.

According to the Illinois DNR, "Lockport Prairie is located in the floodplain and along the Des Plaines River. This unusual location is largely responsible for the unique character of the prairie community; the plants have had to adapt to a high water table during most of the growing season. The dolomite prairie is a high quality remnant on shallow limestone soils. This type of community has almost completely disappeared from the Midwest. Some unusual plants of the dolomite prairie are low calamint, slender sandwort and Ohio horsemint. The fen vegetation is of high natural quality, and the marshes are in stable condition with little signs of disturbance. The dry ridges have been heavily disturbed by man's activities but still retain several interesting prairie plant species. Probably the most unique feature of Lockport Prairie is the presence of the federally endangered leafy prairie clover. Prior to the discovery of the clover at Lockport Prairie, the last record of the plant in Illinois was over seventy years ago. Also, a large population of the rare prairie satin grass is found here. The preserve is a very significant tract of prime wildlife habitat. Numerous songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and birds of prey use the area. Mammals known to utilize the area are muskrat, raccoon, cottontail, vole and mice."

I can also say I saw curious deer roaming the wooded area just east of IL 53 as I left the area.

I may have been more tempted to venture out into the Prairie if not for the January cold combined with the open area's winds. But I will return in warmer conditions, for sure!

Thanks as always for reading!