Nine railroads operating in Chicago decided to finance the railroad, opposed to building their own property to reach the stock yards.
The parent company of the railroad was known as the Chicago Junction Railway, which only operated the tracks between the IC and CGE.
In 1922, the New York Central bought and leased the CJ to the Chicago River and Indiana Railroad. In 1958, the CR&I purchased the CJ tracks, and became part of Conrail in 1976.
During the late 1960s, the section east of Prairie Avenue was abandoned. It is unknown when the segment between I-90/I-94 and Prairie Avenue was abandoned, although the structures still exist. This section was abandoned sometime in the 1970s or 1980s.
Currently, the remaining section between the Norfolk Southern main line and Western Avenue is also owned by Norfolk Southern, and the segment between the NS main line and La Salle Street is the Chicago Rail Link.
06/26/21
Located in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood of Chicago, this bridge crosses South Prairie Avenue at E. 40th Street.
Built in 1905 as the Chicago Junction Railway raised their tracks through the area, the bridge consists of a trio of through plate girder spans, set onto concrete and steel substructures. While the bridge was originally built for three tracks, only two tracks remain.
In addition, the bridge consists of a ballasted deck. This deck has protected the bridge since construction, although it has partially failed. The bridge has been abandoned for many years, although it has not been removed.
This type of bridge is typical for early grade separations in Chicago.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, as the bridge has some significant deterioration. It is unknown who currently owns the bridge.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.