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| Name | Bloomingdale Trail - Milwaukee Avenue Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #Z-8T |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Chicago |
| Superstructure Contractor (1914 Construction) | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Superstructure Contractor (2014 Construction) | Walsh Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois |
| Erection Contractor | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois |
| Design Engineer | Collins Engineers, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois |
| Length | 66 Feet Total, 23 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Tied Arch Supported Through Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1914, Reconstructed 2014 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | Z-8T |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/8/2018 |
In 1872, the Chicago and Pacific Railroad was charted to construct a new 88-mile railroad line extending from Chicago, Illinois to Byron, Illinois. Construction began on the line in 1873, and the line was completed to Elgin in 1874, followed by to Byron in 1876. In Chicago, the railroad crossed the Chicago River three times, crossed Goose Island and turned west along Bloomingdale Avenue. In 1880, the railroad came under lease of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road. The Milwaukee Road continued construction, reaching Kittredge, Illinois in 1882. At Kittredge, this line connected to a line that had been completed to Savanna, Illinois by the Northern Illinois Railroad in 1862. This line became a principal mainline for the Milwaukee Road, later extending across Iowa to reach Omaha. Because of the importance of this line, the portion of the line west of Bloomingdale Avenue in Chicago to Bensenville was double tracked in 1885. In 1892, construction on a second track began between Bensenville and Genoa, which would be completed in 1897. By 1899, the line was double tracked to Savanna. During the late 19th Century, the numerous grade crossings throughout Chicago became a hazard for the general public, and the City of Chicago investigated solutions. The City issued ordinances to railroads to elevate their tracks. This line was elevated between Elston Avenue and Ashland Avenue in 1899, followed by the section from Lawndale Avenue to Pulaski Road in 1900 and from Pulaski Road to Kostner Avenue by 1902. The Bloomingdale Line from Ashland Avenue to Lawndale Avenue would be elevated between 1913 and 1915.
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 a critical mainline for the railroad during the 20th Century, as it provided a connection between Chicago and the mainlines to Omaha and Kansas City. Significant upgrades were made during the 1930s and 1940s, including replacing bridges and revising curves. During the 1970s, conditions of the line gradually deteriorated, and much of the second track was removed in the late 1970s.
Portions of the line in Chicago were removed in the late 1970s. 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. In 1997, CP would sell the line
segment to I&M Rail Link, which was purchased by the Dakota,
Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) subsidiary Iowa, Chicago
& Eastern Railroad (IC&E). Portions of the Bloomingdale Line between Pacific Junction and the Kennedy Expressway were abandoned in 2001. Chicago Transfer Railway (CTR) began operations around Goose Island in 2007, using former Milwaukee Road trackage. The DM&E/IC&E were purchased
by Canadian Pacific in 2008. The Bloomingdale/606 Trail was constructed on the right-of-way between Ashland Avenue and Lawndale Avenue in 2014. The CTR trackage was abandoned in 2018. CP merged with Kansas City Southern
Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. Today, CPKC operates the Elgin Subdivision between Pacific Junction and Randall Road in Elgin; and the Chicago Subdivision between Elgin and Savanna. In addition, Metra operates commuter service as the Milwaukee West line over the Elgin Subdivision.
View an article discussing this track elevation project (digitalized by Google)
View an article discussing the reconstruction of this bridge
Located in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago, this through girder bridge carries the former Milwaukee Road Bloomingdale Line, now the Bloomingdale (606) Trail, over Milwaukee Avenue. During the late 1890s and early 1900s, the City of Chicago passed numerous ordinances requiring the elevation of railroad tracks in the city. By 1910, almost all of the mainlines operating in the city had been elevated. On June 27th, 1910, the City of Chicago passed an ordinance requiring the elevation of the Milwaukee Road Bloomingdale Line between Ashland Avenue and Lawndale Avenue. Construction on the project began in 1913 and was completed in early 1915. Work was completed by constructing temporary trestles, constructing the retaining walls, then constructing the subways and filling the retaining walls. This track elevation project mainly used concrete slab subways and concrete retaining walls, typical of later track elevation projects in Chicago.
The subway at Milwaukee Avenue was constructed in 1914, and was among the last pieces of the elevation completed between Ashland Avenue and Damen Avenue. Due to the heavy skew of the bridge, a concrete slab bridge could not be used at this location. Instead, the chosen design utilized two 23-foot and two 10-foot through plate girder spans, set onto concrete abutments and steel bent piers. The bridge would be constructed for two tracks, run at a 45 degree skew, and the superstructure was fabricated by the Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company. The girder spans utilize transverse I-beams, set onto hangers on the four girder lines. A concrete deck is installed on these beams, and the ends of the girders are square, typical of Milwaukee Road bridges. The bents of the bridge utilized a lattice design, likely a decorative feature. 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. However, this particular bridge utilized a variation of a trough floor. Ballast floors like this were preferred among railroads, as they reduced maintenance costs.
Since the initial construction of the bridge, the structure has been significantly altered. Due to the volume of traffic on Milwaukee Avenue, the steel bents were considered a hazard to motorists. As part of the Bloomingdale Trail construction in 2014, a tied arch was installed on the bridge, and the steel bents removed. This unique alteration involved using plates and high strength bolts to join the through girder spans, and connecting those locations to a tied arch. During the reconstruction of the bridge, the original concrete deck was removed and a new concrete deck, set onto corrugated steel, was constructed. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The rehabilitation by adding an additional structure was a unique feature for the Bloomingdale Trail, and no other examples of this type of work are known. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date (1914 contstruction) | Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way; August 1914 |
| Builder and build date (2014 construction) | Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail: Innovative Erection Procedures for the Milwaukee Avenue Bridge; by Scott K. Graham, P.E., S.E. and Jonathan E. Lewis, S.E. |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |