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

Abandoned Wilson Avenue Bridge (Portage Park)

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Abandoned Wilson Avenue Bridge (Portage Park)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #521)

This concrete encased beam bridge carries an abandoned Union Pacific Railroad line over Wilson Avenue at Cicero Avenue

Portage Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: Abandoned

Built 1928

by

Unknown

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
2-19' concrete encased beam and 2-14' concrete slab

Description:
Concrete encased beam bridge over Wilson Avenue

Significance:

Local

CTA Purple Line - Colfax Street Bridge

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CTA Purple Line - Colfax Street Bridge

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #J-172)

This standard concrete slab bridge carries the CTA Purple Line over Colfax Street in Evanston

Evanston, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Chicago Transit Authority

Status: In Use

Built 1930

by

Unknown

for

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad

Design:
2-25' and 2-10' concrete slab

Description:
Concrete slab bridge over Colfax Street

Significance:

Local

Abandoned Prairie Avenue Bridge (Grand Boulevard)

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Abandoned Prairie Avenue Bridge (Grand Boulevard)

This through plate girder bridge carried the former Chicago Junction Railway over Prairie Avenue

Grand Boulevard, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: City of Chicago

Status: Abandoned

Built 1905

by

American Bridge Company of New York

for

Chicago Junction Railway

Design:
1-55' and 2-25' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Prairie Avenue

Significance:

Local

CN Dixie Highway Bridge (Homewood)

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CN Dixie Highway Bridge (Homewood)

(Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #23.5)

This concrete encased beam bridge carries the Metra Electric District over Dixie Highway in Homewood

Homewood, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Canadian National Railway

Status: In Use

Built 1923

by

Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Illinois Central Railroad

Design:
2-20' concrete encased beam and 2-12' concrete slabs

Description:
Concrete encased beam bridge over Dixie Highway

Significance:

Local

UP Des Plaines River Bridge (Des Plaines)

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UP Des Plaines River Bridge (Des Plaines)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #22)

This large through plate girder bridge crosses the Des Plaines River in downtown Des Plaines

Des Plaines, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1910 and 1929

by

American Bridge Company of New York

for

Chicago & North Western Railway

Design:
2-84', 1-60' and 1-50' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Des Plaines River

Significance:

Local

CN Ridgeland Avenue Bridge (Berwyn)

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CN Ridgeland Avenue Bridge (Berwyn)

(Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #W-10.7)

This deck plate girder bridge crosses Ridgeland Avenue in Berwyn

Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Canadian National Railway

Status: In Use

Built 1912

by

American Bridge Company of New York

for

Illinois Central Railroad

Design:
40' deck plate girder

Description:
Deck plate girder bridge over Ridgeland Avenue

Significance:

Local

UP Harrison Street Bridge (Near West Side)

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UP Harrison Street Bridge (Near West Side)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #S-1615)

This through plate girder bridge carries the Union Pacific Rockwell Subdivision over Harrison Street

Near West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1897

by

Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago

for

Chicago & North Western Railway and Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad

Design:
70' through plate girder

Description:
Through plate girder bridge over Harrison Street

Significance:

Local

Canal Street Railroad Bridge

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Canal Street Railroad Bridge

(Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge #458)

This massive vertical lift bridge carries Amtrak and the Metra Southwest Service and Heritage Corridor over the South Branch Chicago River east of Canal Street

Armour Square, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Lower West Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Amtrak

Status: In Use

Built 1914

by

Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton, Pennsylvania and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway

Design:
280' Parker through truss vertical lift bridge

Description:
Parker through truss vertical lift bridge over South Branch Chicago River

Significance:

High

CN Main Street Bridge (Matteson)

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CN Main Street Bridge (Matteson)

(Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #28.3)

This concrete encased beam bridge carries the Metra Electric District over Main Street in Matteson

Matteson, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: Canadian National Railway

Status: In Use

Built 1923

by

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

for

Illinois Central Railroad

Design:
2-30' concrete encased beam

Description:
Concrete encased beam bridge over Main Street

Significance:

Local

Wells Street Bridge

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Wells Street Bridge

This iconic through truss bascule bridge carries Wells Street and the CTA Brown and Purple Lines over the Chicago River

Loop, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Near North Side, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Owner: City of Chicago

Status: In Use

Built 1922

by

Fort Pitt Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; FitzSimons & Connell Dredge & Dock Company of Chicago, Illinois and Ketler-Elliott Erection Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

City of Chicago

Design:
268' Double deck Warren through truss bascule (double leaf fixed trunnion)

Description:
Double leaf Warren through truss bascule bridge over Chicago River

Significance:

Regional