Railroad Bridges in Cook County, Illinois


Cook County is located in northeast Illinois, and is the most populous county in Illinois. The seat and largest city are both Chicago.

Random Bridges

UP Wrightwood Avenue Bridge (Lincoln Park)

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UP Wrightwood Avenue Bridge (Lincoln Park)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1301)

This through plate girder bridge carries the Union Pacific North Line over Wrightwood Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago

Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use, Scheduled For Replacement

Built 1899

by

Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
40' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Wrightwood Avenue

Significance:

Local

UP Des Plaines Street Bridge (North)

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UP Des Plaines Street Bridge (North)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2.6A)

This trough floor steel stringer bridge carries the Union Pacific North and Northwest Lines over Des Plaines Street

West Town, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1910

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
2-26' and 2-17' trough floor steel stringer

Description:
Trough floor steel stringer bridge over Des Plaines Street

Significance:

Local

UP Des Plaines Street Bridge (South)

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UP Des Plaines Street Bridge (South)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2.8)

This trough floor steel stringer bridge carries the Union Pacific West Line over Des Plaines Street

West Town, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1910

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
2-26' and 2-17' trough floor steel stringer; 1-56', 2-17' trough floor through plate girder

Description:
Trough floor steel stringer bridge over Des Plaines Street

Significance:

Local

UP Kinzie Street Bridge

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UP Kinzie Street Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2.2)

This large trough floor steel stringer viaduct carries the Union Pacific North, Northwest and West Lines over Kinzie Street and Clinton Street

Near West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1910

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
8 span trough floor steel stringer

Description:
Trough floor steel stringer bridge over Kinzie Street and Clinton Street

Significance:

Local

Abandoned Paulina Street Bridge (New City)

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Abandoned Paulina Street Bridge (New City)

(Grand Trunk Western Railroad Bridge #6.23)

This through plate girder bridge across Paulina Street is one of several similar structures along the former Grand Trunk Western 49th Street Line

New City, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Canadian National Railway

Status: Abandoned

Built 1907

by

American Bridge Company of New York

for

Grand Trunk Western Railroad

Design:
1-44' and 2-11' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Paulina Street

Significance:

Local

Bloomingdale Line Swing Bridge

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Bloomingdale Line Swing Bridge

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #Z-6)

This unique counterbalanced deck plate girder swing bridge crosses the North Branch Chicago River south of Cortland Street

Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Logan Square, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: City of Chicago

Status: Abandoned

Built 1899

by

American Bridge Works of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Design:
175' counterbalanced deck plate girder swing span and 70' deck plate girder

Description:
Counterbalanced deck plate girder swing bridge over North Branch Chicago River

Significance:

High

Polly L Bridge

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Polly L Bridge

(Metropolitain West Side Elevated Truss Bridge)

This abandoned Pennsylvania through truss span was left standing after much of the of the Logan Square Branch was abandoned.

Near West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: Abandoned, reused as signal bridge

Built 1895

by

Mt. Vernon Bridge Company of Mt. Vernon, Ohio

for

Metropolitan West Side Elevated

Design:
258' Parker through truss

Description:
Parker through truss bridge over Union Pacific Railroad

Significance:

High

CPKC Foster Avenue Bridge (Forest Glen)

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CPKC Foster Avenue Bridge (Forest Glen)

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #A-50)

This standard concrete slab bridge carries the Metra Milwaukee District North over Foster Avenue

Forest Glen, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited

Status: In Use

Built 1929

by

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Design:
2-26' and 2-12' concrete slab

Description:
Concrete slab bridge over Foster Avenue

Significance:

Local

UP Prairie Alley Bridge

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UP Prairie Alley Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2)

This through plate girder bridge crosses the Metra Line to Union Station north of Ogilvie Transportation Center

Near West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1910

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
90' through plate girder and 4 span deck plate girder

Description:
Through and deck plate girder bridge over Metra

Significance:

Local

UP Balmoral Avenue Bridge (Lincoln Square)

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UP Balmoral Avenue Bridge (Lincoln Square)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1306 3/4)

This through plate girder bridge once carried the Union Pacific North Line over Balmoral Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago

Lincoln Square, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: Replaced by a new bridge

Built 1897

by

Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
70' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Balmoral Avenue

Significance:

Local