- 1855: 45 miles completed from Chicago to the Illinois State Line by the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad
- 1855: 40 miles completed from Illinois State Line to Milwaukee, Wisconsin by the Green Bay, Milwaukee & Chicago Railroad
- 1857: GBM&C acquired by the Milwaukee and Chicago Railroad
- 1863: M&C and C&M become part of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway
- 1881: C&M acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee & North Western Railway
- 1882: Second track constructed from Chicago to Evanston
- 1883: CM&NW acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1888-1895: Second track constructed from Evanston to Milwaukee
- 1898: Third track constructed from Chicago to Rose Hill and track elevated
- 1910: Third track constructed from Rose Hill to Wilmette and track elevated
- 1911: Realignment in Chicago for new station
- 1966: National Avenue (Milwaukee)-Capitol Drive segment abandoned
- 1981: Third track removed from Chicago to Wilmette
- 1981: Metra begins operations between Chicago and Kenosha as the Union Pacific North Line
- 1987: Second track removed from Kenosha to National Avenue
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 2009: Wiscona-Capitol Drive segment abandoned, acquired for trail use
- 1984-Present: Metra operates the Union Pacific North Line from Chicago to Kenosha
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Kenosha Subdivision from Chicago to National Avenue
- 2014-Present: Oak Leaf Trail runs between Milwaukee and Wiscona
06/26/21
Located in the West Town neighborhood at the intersection of W. Hubbard Street and N. Des Plaines Street, this girder bridge crosses Des Plaines Street.
Built in 1910 as the C&NW rebuilt tracks through the area, the bridge features four deck girder spans, set onto concrete and steel substructures. This particular design was popular at the time for subways.
In addition, the bridge has a ballasted deck which was constructed to protect the bridge. When constructed, the bridge was built for four tracks, which it still carries.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition with little major deterioration.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.