| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Chicago El
Union Elevated Railroad | Railroad (Union Elevated Railway) Over Various Streets of Chicago | Chicago: Cook County, Illinois | Metal Deck Girder, Stationary | 0 By: Various Builders |
Most people probably do not think of the Union Elevated Railroad, commonly called "The El", as a bridge, but it is in fact a giant, continuous grade separation. Not only is it a bridge, but much of it has a great deal of historic value. Parts of this elevated rail line are extremely old, dating to around 1895, those sections being the oldest elevated rail line in the world. Others sections are newer, or have been replaced with new steel beam structures. The older sections are very interesting, with most of them resembling deck plate girder bridges or deck truss bridges with elaborate supports designed to fit around the streets it passes over. The stations for the Chicago El resemble deck truss bridges with a building on top. All of the old sections include riveted construction. The Chicago El gets across the river via the Wells Street Bridge and the Lake Street Bridge. The section of railroad that runs over Wells Street south of the Wells Street Bridge is really interesting, and retains a great deal of historic integrity.
The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) has documented several of the stations for the El, which is further evidence of the importance of this railway. A HAER link for the station photographed by HistoricBridges.org is present at the top, but exploring the HAER website will reveal documentation for other stations as well.
