UP 52nd Street Bridge (Kenosha)

Located in Kenosha, this steel stringer bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over 52nd Street. In the early 20th Century, numerous trains per day used this line, presenting a hazard to pedestrians, wagons and automobiles crossing the tracks at grade crossings. Inspired by grade separation projects in Chicago, Milwaukee and other major cities, the City of Kenosha began to plan a track elevation project to eliminate dangerous grade crossings within the City. The City of Kenosha first petitioned the Railroad Commission of Wisconsin for a grade separation project in early 1914, with the Commission initially finding in favor of the City in 1916. World War I stopped progress on the project, before it was again reopened in 1919. Throughout the 1920s, the City worked to pave streets and acquire property in preparation for the project. The first contracts for the project were awarded in early 1930, with work beginning soon after. The 1930 program included elevating the tracks from the north end of the City to 50th Street. In 1931, work progressed southwards to 60th Street, and a temporary timber trestle was constructed at 60th Street. After complaints by the city, a permanent bridge was installed at 60th Street in 1932, and progress came to a halt due to corruption and the Great Depression. In 1936, the project again continued, with work continuing from 60th Street south to a point south of 65th Street. In 1938, the final contracts for the project were awarded, and in 1939, the project was completed to south of 75th Street.

The bridge at 52nd Street was built in 1931 during an early portion of the project. This bridge consists of two 34-foot steel stringer spans, constructed to carry four tracks. The bridge is set onto concrete abutments and a steel bent pier. The superstructure uses a typical design for this track elevation project, with several parallel I-beams per track covered by a fascia girder on the outsides of the bridge and covered by a concrete deck. The substructures use a standard concrete abutment, which is integral with the concrete retaining walls on either end. The pier consists of a typical steel bent, with a transverse plate girder set onto solid steel columns founded on concrete footings. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while an unknown contractor constructed the abutments and retaining walls. Steel stringer spans were popular for track elevation projects, as they were durable, easy to construct and did not severely limit clearance underneath. In addition, these types of structures could easily be constructed with a ballast deck, a common stipulation for track elevation projects in urban areas. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few significant changes, and all four tracks remain in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no critical defects immediately visible. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.