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| Name | CTA Red Line - Lawrence Avenue Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #J-62 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Northwestern Elevated Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Chicago Transit Authority |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 166 Feet |
| Width | 4 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete Steel Bent |
| Date Built | 1922 |
| 2024 | |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced) |
| Current Status | Replaced by a new bridge |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | J-62 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/19/2022 |
In 1883, the Chicago & Evanston Railroad began construction on a 12 mile railroad line, extending from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) near Cortland Street in Chicago, north to Evanston, Illinois. From Clybourn Avenue to Fullerton Avenue, the route ran parallel to Lakewood Avenue, eventually joining Lakewood Avenue at Wrightwood Avenue. The line then followed Lakewood Avenue before diverging near Belmont Avenue. The route then turned, going past present-day Wrigley Field, before turning back north. The route continued into Evanston, ending at Linden Avenue in Wilmette. The railroad reorganized as the Chicago, Evanston & Lake Superior Railway in 1885, which was leased to the Milwaukee Road in 1887, eventually being purchased outright in 1898.
This route served as a branch line to serve various industries. Due to the largely residential areas the line traversed, the route north of Howard Street was leased to the Northwestern Elevated Railroad in 1908. The Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company (NWE) extended their electrified passenger service over the route, providing quick travel into and around Chicago. 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. In 1910, the line was elevated from Howard Street to Church Street, followed by Leland Avenue to Howard Street in 1922. By 1924, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad became part of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. The tracks were elevated between Church Street to Central Avenue in Evanston between 1928 and 1931. In 1947, the CRT became part of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), which later acquired the line north of Leland 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. Through the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road continued to operate the line south of Leland Avenue as an industrial switching line. 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. 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. The line south of Leland Avenue was abandoned between the 1970s and 1980s. North of Leland Avenue, the route has since become part of the CTA Purple Line.
Located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, this concrete slab bridge once carried the CTA Red and Purple Lines over Lawrence Avenue. 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 in 1910 requiring the elevation of the Evanston Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway between Irving Park Road and Howard Street. Due to the heavy use of the line by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad, the project could not be constructed like other track elevation projects in Chicago. Both tracks needed to be at the same level, and temporary trestles and stations would need to be constructed. Work progressed with the concrete retaining wall from 1914 until 1917, when World War I delayed construction. Work was resumed in 1919, and completed in 1922. It is unclear if the permanent bridges were constructed at one time, or if they were constructed in halves at different times.
The bridge at Lawrence Avenue consisted of two separate through plate girder structures, which were approached by deck plate girders to cross the Lawrence Avenue Station. The main span of the west tracks was a 70-foot through plate girder, approached by a series of deck plate girder spans on the south end. The eastern track utilized a 40-foot through plate girder span, with a 10-foot deck plate girder span on the north end and a series of deck plate girder spans on the south end. The bridge was set onto steel bents and concrete abutments. It is unknown which contractor fabricated the steel for the bridge. The girder spans utilized atypical designs, and were likely designed for the Northwestern Elevated Railroad operations. Girder designs were typically used by the "L" system, as they provided the most cost effective and durable design. Between 2021 and 2024, the bridge was replaced with a new structure as part of the Red Purple Modernization Project. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair to poor condition at the time of replacement, deterioration noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Annual Reports |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |