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| Name | Polly L Bridge Metropolitain West Side Elevated Truss Bridge |
| Built By | Metropolitan West Side Elevated |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Mt. Vernon Bridge Company of Mt. Vernon, Ohio |
| Length | 258 Feet Total |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 40 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Parker Through Truss |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | 1895 1905 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned, reused as signal bridge |
| Significance | High Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/20/2015 |
During the late 19th Century, electrified railroads became popular in the United States. These railroads offered a viable, faster alternative to traditional steam railroads. In major cities, electrified railroads would be constructed either on steel viaducts or in subways. During the 1880s and 1890s, Chicago had seen an unprecedented level of growth, and constructing a reliable public transportation system became a must for the city. In 1892, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company ("Met") was given a charter by the City of Chicago to operate a four track mainline and four two track branch lines, connecting the Loop to the west side of Chicago. In 1895, the railroad opened the main line and a branch line to Logan Square, known as the Logan Square Branch. From near Paulina Street and Van Buren Street, the line generally headed north along Paulina Street, before turning northwest along Milwaukee Avenue, extending to Humboldt Boulevard.
In 1924, the Met became part of the Chicago Rapid Transit
Company. In 1947, the CRT became part of the Chicago
Transit Authority (CTA). During the early 1950s, the City of Chicago was in a period of transformation. A network of high speed highways was planned. In 1951, a new subway connecting the Milwaukee Avenue segment
to the Loop opened, reducing the need for the Paulina Street line. The same year, the line between Milwaukee Avenue and Lake Street segment would be abandoned. By 1954, the Lake Street to Van Buren Street section would be abandoned. The remaining segment along Milwaukee Avenue would become part of the CTA Blue Line, and the portion of the line between Lake Street and Van Buren Street would be rebuilt for the CTA Pink Line in 2003.
Located across the Metra Union Pacific West line between Wood and Paulina Streets, this through truss is the only truss remaining from the Metropolitan West Side Elevated (Met West). Constructed in 1895, the bridge was built to carry the Logan Square Branch across the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) Galena Division and the parallel Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (Pan Handle Route). The bridge consists of a 258-foot, 10-panel pin-connected Parker through truss span, set onto stone piers. The viaducts on either end of the span were constructed of deck plate girders, set onto steel towers. The truss spans for the Met West were fabricated by the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company, and the stone piers were constructed by the West Side Construction Company; likely a subsidiary formed by the Met West. The truss span utilizes many features similar to other railroad spans of the era, although the span uses lighter members. The portal of the bridge utilizes a lattice design, with three distinct sections.
In 1905, the bridge was raised approximately 15 feet in conjunction with the elevation of the C&NW and PFW&C tracks underneath. To accomplish this, additional stone was added to the existing piers. Since the 1905 alteration, the bridge has seen relatively little change. The majority of the Logan Square Branch was removed in 1952, on account of opening a new subway into downtown Chicago. This bridge was retained, as the C&NW and PFW&C had installed signal equipment on the bridge. The bridge now functions as a signal bridge, with the ties removed from the deck. Overall, the bridge appeaers to be in fair to good condition, with little significant deterioration noted. The C&NW has since become part of Union Pacific Railroad; and the PFW&C sold their portion of the line to Metra, which operates the Milwaukee District West over the southern four tracks. The author has ranked the bridge as being highly significant, due to the truss design. Almost all of the truss spans which carried the "L" over other railroads throughout Chicago have been demolished or replaced. The author hopes that this bridge can be preserved, either in place or at a different location, for years to come.
Citations
| Builder and build date | The Street Railway Journal; May 1895 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |