- 1872: 5 miles completed in Chicago along Kenton Avenue from Kinzie Street to Montrose Avenue by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1889: 5 miles of double track completed along Kenton Avenue
- 1889: 8 miles of double track completed from Montrose Avenue to North Evanston, Illinois by the Junction Railway Company
- 1891: Junction Railway Company purcahsed by Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1899-1902: Track elevated from Kinzie Street to Montrose Avenue
- 1926-1928: Track elevated from Montrose Avenue to Peterson Avenue
- 1985: Oakton Street to North Evanston (Canal) segment abandoned
- 1988: River Junction to Oakton Street segment abandoned
- 1990s: Cragin Junction to Kinzie Street segment abandoned
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 2004: River Junction to Oakton Street segment abandoned
- 1995-present: Union Pacific operates the Montrose Avenue (Mayfair) to Cragin Junction line as the Cragin Industrial Lead
06/26/21
Located in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, this deck girder bridge crosses West Lawrence Avenue near Cicero Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway.
Built in 1928, the bridge features a pair of deck girder spans, set onto concrete and steel substructures. The bridge follows a common 1920s design, using minimal decorations and a ballasted deck.
It is unknown why steel was chosen for this bridge, especially considering concrete was used elsewhere in the area.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with minimal significant deterioration. However, there is a fair amount of spalling on the piers.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and large numbers of similar bridges in the area.
The photo above is an overview.