Burlington had lots of big, fast, busy lines in Illinois, but they also had an extensive web of branches. One such branch ran from connections with both mains just west of Aurora over to the Quad Cities via Denrock. It crossed the Rock River at Sterling/Rock Falls. By 1986, the line was gone, as was the Rock River bridge. In July 1986, a crew with a barge-mounted crane are finishing up on the piers.