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| Name | CTA Yellow Line - Dodge Avenue Bridge |
| Built By | Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad Northwestern Elevated Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Chicago Transit Authority |
| Superstructure Contractor | Hansell-Elcock Company of Chicago, Illinois |
| Substructure Contractor | L.E. Meyers Company of Chicago, Illinois |
| Design Engineer | I.F. Stern of Chicago, Illinois |
| Length | 187 Feet Total, 75 Foot main Span |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 13 Feet 5 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Steel Bent |
| Date Built | 1925 |
| Traffic Count | 120 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/26/2023 |
During the early 20th Century, the area immediately north of Chicago saw unprecedented growth. Existing passenger rail service along the existing line Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad (CNS&M) line became crowded. In 1924, the CNS&M began purchasing land for a new line between Howard Street and North Chicago, set several miles from the lake shore. This new route was expected to shorten travel times by 20 minutes, and provide a bypass of the congested shore line route. The first portion to Niles Center opened in 1925, and was jointly constructed by the CNS&M and the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. In 1926, the remainder of the route opened for service, featuring a double track electrified railroad in a private right-of-way. Throughout the 1930s, the railroad financed significant grade separation projects, particularly along US-41. However, the railroad ceased operations in 1963. By 1965, large portions of the track has been removed north of Lake-Cook Road. Between Lake-Cook Road and Dempster Street in Skokie, the railroad was sold to the Chicago & North Western, which became part of Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. The southern section between Skokie and Howard Street became part of the Skokie Swift, a pilot project for mass transit. The railroad featured five miles of length traveled in 6.5 minutes. Since, the route has been re-branded as the CTA Yellow Line. UP abandoned the segment in 2005. From Oakton Street in Skokie to Rockland Road near Waukegan, the grade is used by the Skokie Valley Trail. A gap in the trail currently exists between Skokie and Northfield.
Located north of Howard Street in Evanston, this deck girder bridge carries the CTA Yellow Line over Dodge Avenue. Built in 1924-1925 during the construction of the line, the bridge consists of a 75-foot through plate girder span, approached by two 28-foot deck plate girder spans on either end. The bridge is set onto steel bents and concrete abutments. Hansell-Elcock Company was contracted to fabricate the superstructure, and the L.E. Meyer Company was contracted to construct the concrete substructures. In March 1925, the bridge officially opened to traffic. The two tracks are spaced approximately 15 feet apart, giving the bridge an unusual appearance. The through girder spans use an unusual variation of the design, with significantly more rivets and a ballast trough floor which is an integral part of the structure. In addition, the ends of the girders use a rounded and tapered edge, typical for some railroads. A light bracing connects the main spans of the two separate tracks.
The approaches also use an unusual design, more typical of a structure for an elevated electric railroad, such as the Chicago L. Steel posts support the two girders, and form a portion of the steel bent. Girder spans were popular with railroads throughout the United States, as they provided a durable and easy to construct structure. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen little change. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, and continues to serve traffic. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the number of unusual features. However, the bridge is an excellent example of a bridge fabricated by Hansell-Elcock, a firm which rarely constructed bridges.
Citations
| Build date and builder (superstructure) | The Iron Age; June 12, 1924 |
| Builder (substructure) | Railway Engineering and Maintenance; Volume 22, Issue 8 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |