The BNSF Aurora Subdivision stretches across nearly 260 miles of land traversing through both the states of Illinois and Wisconsin from Aurora to La Crosse. Perhaps some of the most scenic views of this line can be had from an area of Northwest Illinois know as the "Mississippi Palisades" in and around the town of Savanna. Seen here splitting the mighty Mississippi River and the large limestone cliffs in two is westbound empty oil train U CXPTIO0 34T for Tioga, ND off the CSXT in Chicago. I stood up on this cliff in the hot sun for nearly two hours waiting for the dispatcher to send a westbound up river with only the sparse barge traffic to keep me occupied. The bridge in the far background is called simply the "Savanna-Sabula Bridge" and carries U.S. Route 52 over the Mississippi River connecting the towns of Savanna, IL and Sabula, IA. Opened in late December of 1932, the truss span stretches 2,482 ft long and a short 20 ft, two traffic lanes across in width and carries an average of 2,400 vehicles a day. The bridge was recently imploded on March 9th of this year to make way for the new structure.
