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CN Clark Street Bridge (Near South Side)

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Clark Street
Near South Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CN Clark Street Bridge (Near South Side)
Built By St. Charles Air Line
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 90 Feet Total, 60 Foot Main Span
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 13 feet 8 Inches
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete and Steel Tower
Date Built 1899
Date Removed 2021
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced)
Current Status Replaced by a new bridge
CN Bridge Number 2.33
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date December 2018


This small through girder bridge crossed Clark Street between 15th Street and 16th Street.
Built in 1899, the bridge featured a pair of through girder spans, on concrete and steel substructures. The bridge also featured a sheet metal deck. In addition, the bridge was built for a turnout, meaning the far west end actually carries four tracks.
Another odd feature of the bridge was a beam underneath the west span of the bridge. It is apparent that this was added for strengthening purposes. As part of an upgrade of the St. Charles Airline, the bridge was replaced between 2020 and 2021.
Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair to poor condition at the time of replacement, with significant superstructure and deck deterioration. The condition of this section of bridges has limited the speed on the route to 10 mph.

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

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Illinois Central 1942 track profiles
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele