CGW Stone Arch (Egan)

Name	CGW Stone Arch (Egan) Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #C-96.90
Built By	Chicago Great Western Railway
Currently Owned By	Private Owner
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	12 Feet Total
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Stone Arch
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry
Date Built	c. 1900
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status	Abandoned
Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge Number	C-96.90
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	3/28/2015

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 near the former station of Egan, this stone arch bridge carries the former Chicago Great Western Railway over an unnamed drainage ditch. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was initially built. In approximately 1900, the original bridge would be replaced with the present structure. The structure consists of a single 12-foot stone arch , set onto stone substructures. Railroad records indicate that the bridge is 51 feet wide. The bridge utilizes a standard CGW design, with a symmetrical arch and wing walls extending diagonally from the structure. Stone for the structure was likely quarried at Mankato, Minnesota; and it is believed that a bridge was constructed under contract. Between 1897 and 1910, the CGW undertook a major project, filling and replacing timber bridges with stone and concrete culverts throughout the system. This bridge is one of dozens of similar structures constructed during that time. This design of structure was popular among railroads, as it provided a durable and easy to construct alternative to timber or steel bridges. Unlike many CGW stone arches, this bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Since the abandonment, the embankment has been removed from around the bridge and the surrounding property. The structure now sits abandoned. The author has ranked the structure as being locally significant, due to the common design.

CGW Stone Arch (Egan)

Egan, Ogle County, Illinois