CPKC Addison Street Bridge (Irving Park)

Irving Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

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Name	CPKC Addison Street Bridge (Irving Park) Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #A-30
Built By	Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Currently Owned By	Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Superstructure Contractor	Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Length	76 Feet Total
Width	2 Tracks
Height Above Ground	13 Feet 10 Inches
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1899
Traffic Count	80 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number	A-30
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	7/7/2018

In 1872, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) constructed 45 miles of new railroad, extending from the Chicago & North Western Railway mainline at Western Avenue in Chicago to the Illinois/Wisconsin State Line near Gurnee, Illinois. The Wisconsin Union Railroad started an additional 37 miles to Milwaukee in 1872, with the Milwaukee Road completing the line in 1873. The Wisconsin Union became part of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway in 1872; which became part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway in 1874. The Milwaukee Road was beginning to acquire and construct a large number of railroad lines, particularly in Wisconsin. This line served as an arterial mainline for the railroad, connecting terminals at Milwaukee to terminals at Chicago. Due to heavy traffic, the entire line was double tracked between 1892 and 1893. In the late 19th Century, railroad traffic had become a significant safety hazard for the City of Chicago. A solution was devised to elevate the railroad tracks throughout the city, placing the railroads upon embankments and constructing subways at each street. The line between Western Avenue and Irving Park Road would be elevated between 1899 and 1902. In Milwaukee, the tracks would be elevated in 1916. Further track elevation would be completed between 1927 and 1929 from Irving Park Road to Elston Avenue.

By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines primarily in the Midwest. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. This line continued to serve as the principal mainline of the company, extending to the Pacific Ocean. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. Today, CPKC operates this line as the C&M Subdivision. In addition, Metra operates the Milwaukee District North commuter service between Western Avenue and Rondout.

Located in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago, this through plate girder bridge carries the Metra Milwaukee District North line over Addison Street. During the late 19th Century, railroad traffic within the City of Chicago posed a serious hazard to the general population. Starting in the mid-1890s, the City of Chicago passed a number of ordinances mandating the elevation of tracks within the city. As a general rule, these ordinances required the railroad line to be elevated, and underpasses to be constructed at street crossings. An ordinance was passed on February 21st, 1898, requiring the elevation of the Chicago Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway between Spaulding Avenue and Irving Park Road. Contracts for the work were let in 1898, and a majority of the construction was completed by 1900. One small section near Roscoe Street would not be completed until 1903. This section of track elevation required few retaining walls, and the grade separation was mainly accomplished by lowering the streets.

The over Addison Street consists of a single 76-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The bridge was completed in 1899, along with a majority of the other underpasses. Typical of the single span structures along this project, the bridge utilizes a rounded, and the floor of the bridge is constructed of parallel floorbeams, covered by a ballast deck. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the steel for the bridge, and railroad labor constructed the abutments of the bridge. This type of structure was initially popular for grade separations in Chicago, but fell out of favor as trough floor spans and concrete spans became more economical. In particular, the through girder design limited horizontal clearances on the bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with minor deterioration noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Build date	Milwaukee Road Archives - Industrial Department Records - located at the Milwaukee Public Library
Builder	Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele