The Frank E. Bauer Bridge is 0.19 mile (0.31 km) toll bridge

Toll bridge

A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...

 that traverses the Rock River

Rock River (Illinois)

The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois. It rises in southeast Wisconsin, in the Theresa Marsh near Theresa, Wisconsin in northeast Dodge County, Wisconsin approximately south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...

 in Machesney Park, Illinois

Machesney Park, Illinois

Machesney Park is a village located in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,499 at the 2010 census, up from 20,759 at the 2000 census...

. It is one of four toll bridges in the state of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. The bridge consists of four lanes, a median and shoulders, as well as a sidewalk which is not tolled. It connects Illinois Route 2

Illinois Route 2

Illinois Route 2 is a north–south state road in northern Illinois. It currently starts at Illinois Route 40 in Sterling and ends at the Wisconsin state line north of South Beloit, very near the intersection with U.S. Route 51, Illinois Route 75 and Illinois Route 251. Illinois 2 is long.-...

 north of Rockford, Illinois

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...

 with commercial areas of Machesney Park and Illinois Route 251

Illinois Route 251

Illinois Route 251 is a north–south state road that runs on the former alignment of U.S. Route 51 before Interstate 39 was built in central Illinois. It runs from U.S. 51 at the border with Wisconsin to I-39 and U.S. 51 south of Kappa. Illinois 251 is long.- Route description :Illinois 251...

 via the Bauer Parkway and Harlem Road (Winnebago County Highway 25).

The bridge opened in 1993. As of 2006, the toll for all vehicles was 50 cents per vehicle, payable only in coins or tokens. I-Pass

I-Pass

I-PASS is the electronic toll collection system used by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on its toll highways. It uses the same transponder as the E-ZPass system used in the Northeastern US, and the Indiana Toll Road's i-Zoom program....

, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is an instrumentality and administrative agency of the State of Illinois, United States. The roads, as well as the Authority itself, are sometimes referred to as the Illinois Tollway...

's electronic toll collection system, is not accepted due to the large upfront costs of installing I-PASS at the bridge. The Bauer Bridge is tolled to pay for bonds issued for its construction, scheduled to be repaid by 2013.