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| Name | Great Western Trail - IL Route 47 Bridge Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #44.76 |
| Built By | Chicago Great Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Forest Preserve District of Kane County |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 67 Feet Total |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 14 Feet 2 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1939 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge Number | 44.76 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/4/2022 |
In 1887, the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad (M&NW) constructed 147 miles of new railroad, extending from Aiken to Forest Park, Illinois. At Aiken, the railroad began at the Illinois Central Railroad, which offered the railroad trackage rights into Dubuque. At Dubuque, the line connected to the rest of the M&NW system. At Forest Park, the line connected to the Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad (B&OCT), which continued to downtown Chicago via the St. Charles Airline. In 1894 the M&NW would be sold to the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW). The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota; connecting major cities in these states. The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to the game. As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area. This line served as the eastern portion of the CGW system, connecting Chicago with Kansas City, Omaha or the Twin Cities. The CGW would be acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1968. The C&NW already operated parallel, better constructed routes in Illinois and Wisconsin. As a result, traffic on this line dwindled to largely local movements, and conditions of the track deteriorated.
The line would be abandoned in several stages. The segment from Forest Park to Elmhurst was abandoned in 1970, followed by the segment from Aiken to Byron in 1972, the segment from Elmhurst to Villa Park in 1974 and the segment from St. Charles to Sycamore in 1977. The portion from Sycamore to Byron was abandoned in 1981, and a small spur was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad to access a power plant. Further abandonments came in 1985 between Villa Park and Carol Stream and in 1993, when a section around the DuPage Airport was realigned. The C&NW was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. The segment from Kirk Road to St. Charles would be abandoned in 2011. Today, Union Pacific operates the remaining trackage around West Chicago, and CPKC operates the spur at Byron. Between St. Charles and Sycamore and West Chicago and Forest Park, the line is now part of the Great Western Trail.
Located in Lily Lake, this deck plate girder bridge carries the Great Western Trail over Illinois Route 47, immediately north of Illinois Route 64. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings (now Illinois Department of Transportation) worked with railroads throughout the state to construct grade crossings at major highways. This bridge was constructed in 1939 as part of a project between the Department and the Chicago Great Western Railway. As part of the project the roadway was relocated, and an underpass constructed. The bridge consists of a double track 67-foot deck plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The girder span consists of four girders for each track, and the tracks were set on a concrete ballast deck. An unknown firm fabricated the steel for the bridge, and a second unknown firm constructed the concrete abutments. The abutments of the bridge utilize decorative features, including insets and decorative spires. This design of bridge was popular for grade separations throughout the United States, as it provided a durable, aesthetic and easy to construct design. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Currently, the bridge carries the Great Western Trail. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and newer age.
Citations
| Build date | Historic Aerial Imagery |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |