The Tazewell & Peoria was formed to operate the assets of the former Peoria & Pekin Union Railway. The T&P handles traffic on both sides of the Illinois River handling 100,000 cars per year with trackage rights to 150 miles of track.

This bridge is the key railroad bridge over the Illinois River in the Peoria area. Several railroads use this bridge including the CN and BNSF, and several industries depend on this bridge including Caterpillar. The bridge dates back to 1909. The original lift mechanism was replaced with a new lift span in 1984. The bridge is operated by remote control from control tower located at a nearby railroad junction. The bridge is set up for two parallel railroad tracks, but one of the tracks is no longer in use.