- 1854: 39 miles completed from Chicago to Cary, Illinois by the Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad
- 1855: I&W combined with Rock River Valley Union Railroad to form the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad
- 1855: 53 miles completed from Cary to Janesville, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad
- 1859: CStP&FdL sold to Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1882: Second track completed from Chicago to Mayfair (Montrose Avenue)
- 1884: Second track completed from Mayfair to Des Plaines
- 1886: 16 miles completed from Janesville to Evansville, Wisconsin by the Janesville and Evansville Railway
- 1887: J&E sold to the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1893: Second track completed from Des Plaines to Barrington
- 1899: Second track completed from Barrington to west of Harvard, Illinois
- 1899: Second track completed from Shopiere to west of Janesville, Wisconsin
- 1899: Track elevation completed from Kostner Avenue to Sangamon Street in Chicago
- 1908: Second track completed at Rock River in Janesville, Wisconsin
- 1927: Track elevation completed from Kostner Avenue to Foster Avenue in Chicago
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 1984-Present: Metra operates the Union Pacific Northwest Line between Harvard and Chicago
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Harvard Subdivision from Chicago to Evansville, Wisconsin
06/26/21
Located in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, this concrete encased beam and concrete slab bridge crosses West Montrose Avenue near North Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway.
Built in approximately 1926, the bridge features two concrete encased beam spans, approached by a concrete slab span on either side, set onto concrete substructures. The bridge follows a common 1920s design, using minimal decorations.
As one of the last ordered track elevations in Chicago, this bridge and the others in the area feature concrete instead of steel designs seen further south.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some significant deterioration, particularly on the superstructure.
The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design and large numbers of similar bridges in the area.
The photo above is an overview.