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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
|
North Avenue Railroad Bridge |
Swing (Truss) |
Railroad (Chicago Terminal Railroad) |
Cook County, IL |
Chicago |
Chicago River North Branch Canal |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Main Span Length | Span From Pier To South End | Truss Length | Builder |
| 1901-1902 | 61 Feet | Approx. 172 Feet | Approx. 135 Feet | 231.6 Feet | Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
The bridge is a rare asymmetrical "bobtail" type of swing bridge. The pier is on the north side, and a concrete counterweight overhead at that end balances the structure out. This bridge was one of the first movable bridges to use concrete as a counterweight. The bridge was important to the development of Goose Island, since it was the only railroad connection to the island. The bridge was designed and operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad. In its later years, the bridge would become the property of Canadian Pacific Railroad. The bridge was then bought by the Chicago Terminal Railroad, who continued to run a train across the bridge on Tuesdays and Thursdays and other days as needed. The bridge is pin connected and carries a single set of tracks.
Restoration Plans
In Fall of 2009, Chicago plans to restore this bridge to handle non-motorized traffic. Graphics of the project seem to indicate that the rails will remain on the bridge, making this project a very unique and excellent one that would preserve the bridge, retain its original design function, while expanding its function and accessibility by supporting non-motorized traffic. Information is available here: http://tinyurl.com/pxwosv
Observations Prior To Restoration
Of all the Chicago bridges, this one is the easiest to get up close to. It is right next to North Avenue. Part of the bridge appears to be half-redecked with wood planks, as if someone was trying to make it more suitable for pedestrian use. Whether or not that was the intention, this bridge is frequently used by pedestrians, and I was able to walk over and get detail photos of the bridge. In my opinion, this bridge is along with the Western Avenue Railroad Bridges, the most historically significant of the Cook County railroad bridges. The fact that this bridge remains in use is important, as this should keep it safe from short-sighted developers such as those who replaced the historic North Avenue Bridge with a modern structure with no history and questionable aesthetics. Some of Chicago's abandoned rail bridges are threatened with demolition because these developers and city planners see the bridges as old eyesores of the past against the skyscraper landscape. Rather, these bridges are valuable reminders of the industrial prosperity that allowed the skyscrapers to come to Chicago in the first place. They deserve preservation.
