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BNSF Fuller Street Bridge (Bridgeport)

Through Plate Girder Bridge over W. Fuller Street
Bridgeport, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Fuller Street Bridge (Bridgeport)
Built By Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 107 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Span
Width 8 Tracks, 6 Tracks in Use
Height Above Ground 13 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete and Steel Tower
Date Built 1901
Traffic Count 65 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 2.84
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date June 2015
In 1873, the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad constructed a line from Streator, Illinois to Ancona, Illinois, a short distance.
The line would be extended to Pequot in 1876. By 1881, the railroad would become part of the Chicago, St. Louis and Western Railroad.
By 1885, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway would purchase the C&StL as part of a project to connect Kansas City to Chicago.
It would be merged into the subsidiary Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway.

The line would be extended to Chicago by 1885, using the B&O Depot.
In 1888, the line would be extended from Ancona to Fort Madison, Iowa. This also included a new crossing of the Mississippi River at Fort Madison; and crossing of the Illinois River at Chillicothe.

In 1900, the subsidiary was fully merged into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The ATSF system expanded to the west and southwest United States.
Between 1905 and 1911, the line would be double tracked from Chicago heading westward. The new line was important for freight heading from Iowa and Missouri to Chicago.

While the line provided a solid freight base, ATSF began to struggle. Through the era of mergers, there were a few attempted mergers.
Finally, the line merged with Burlington Northern Railway to form BNSF Railway in 1996. Today, this line is owned by BNSF and known as the Chillicothe Subdivision.
06/26/21


Located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, this through girder bridge crosses West Fuller Street at S. Short Street.
Built in 1901, the bridge consists of three spans of through girder, set onto concrete and steel tower substructures. This design was common for grade separations through the early 1900s in Chicago.
In addition, the bridge runs at a significant skew to cross the unusual street configuration below. The street is still paved with original bricks.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. It is parallel to the CTA Orange Line and I-55.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date American Bridge Company plaque
Contractor American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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