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UP Prairie Alley Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Canadian Pacific Railway
Near West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP Prairie Alley Bridge
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 235 Feet Total, 71 Foot Main Span
Width 6 Tracks
Height Above Ground 20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through and Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete and Steel Tower
Date Built 1910
Traffic Count 100 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
UP Bridge Number 0.15
C&NW Bridge Number 2.0
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date June 2015
A brief history of the Union Pacific Geneva Subdivision:


06/26/21


Located at the former intersection of West Carroll Avenue and N. Clinton Street in the Near West Side neighborhood, this large viaduct crosses the former Milwaukee Road mainline, now Canadian Pacific.
Built in 1910 as the C&NW built a new station, the bridge is one of the simpler structures in the area. The bridge consists of a large through plate girder spans, as well as one concrete encased beam span on the north and three on the south. The bridge also sits on concrete and steel substructures.
Like some of the other bridges in the area, the original concrete fascia has been removed, likely due to failure. Only one span continues to retain the outer face.
The bridge also consists of a ballasted deck. As one of the largest rail junctions in Chicago lies north of this bridge, the bridge is six tracks wide, and all are in use.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Because of the railroad ownership, proper inspection of conditions of this bridge could not be completed.

The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Construction of new track
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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