BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter
For decades, Chicago’s hulking railroad bridges carried rumbling freight and passenger trains through the city, serving as a link that bolstered industrial and economic growth.
Twelve of these movable structures, which evolved in design as shipping needs and technology changed, were recommended for landmark status recently by the Chicago Commission on Landmarks.
“They are pretty standout structures,” said Terry Tatum, director of research for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s landmarks division.
“The city was such an important center of railroad commerce from the 1850s on that identifying structures of importance to that history was something that we wanted to do.”
Works like an elevator
The oldest standing bridges considered for landmark status, which needs City Council approval, are a pair of Illinois Central Railroad bridges that stretch across the Sanitary and Ship Canal on the South Side and date to the late 1800s.
The most modern is the Chicago & Western Indiana structure on the Far South Side. It was completed in the late 1960s.
Another bridge the commission seeks to preserve is the asymmetrical 19th century Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway’s Bridge No. Z-2, which played a crucial role in the development of Goose Island because it was the only rail line to service industries and the freight yard there.
One of the more impressive bridges, Tatum said, is the
As a lifelong Chicagoan who is quite familiar with movable bridges of all types, I find it interesting and slightly amusing that these bridges are even being considered for landmark status. Like almost any product of railroad engineering, they are impressive structures, but they are hardly distinctive. A sizable percentage of the bridges are vertical lift bridges and the Commission seems to have been overwhelmed by the size and mechanics of the type.
They are interesting, and Chicago probably has a bigger concentration of such bridges than any other region. I wish I could see a listing of exactly which bridges are being preserved, bacause I think that a few of them are pretty distinctive. I may be one of the few people who can say that I’ve been on and/or under most of them.
That Milwaukee Road bridge mentioned in the article is an unusual swing bridge, with the pier quite a distance from the center of the span.
The “eight-track” PRR bridge apparently refers to the four double-track bascule bridges near Western Avenue (actually PRR B&O, and CJ), two of which open from each bank of the canal. As I’ve said in other threads, I’d love to see those operate (but they are no longer movable).
The CNW bridge mentioned in the article could be one of two bascule bridges over the North Branch–I suspect that it’s the one right near the Loop, at one time part of the line out to Navy Pier. That one should be preserved, possibly to be used as part of some sort of connector line (trolley?) to serve the Near North area–that’s been talked about off and on for decades.
The “Lake Shore & Michigan” bridges must be the lift bridges over the Calumet River. There were four bridges there once; only one (former PRR, I think) is still in use–and that one is apparently not being considered a landmark!
I can’t figure out which IC bridge they’re talking about, unless it’s the swing bridge over the canal. That’s a real antique. I’d guess that the “Chicago & Alton” bridge is that hulking thing over Bubbly Creek.
I’m a little surprised that they’ve included the “new” C&WI lift bridge. It’s not in use any more, and might be threatened if they do anything to enlarge Torrance Avenue. Or maybe it could be incorporated into such an enlargement without jeopardizing its status.
The only two bridges I’d heard about previously being considered for landmark status are the
I would like to see the complete list and also the locations. I have always found those bridge to be interesting. I have looked at most of them, but cant really state who’s they are. I do know the one you are talking about down on Torrence Ave…that is quite a structure.
The article is unclear but one could infer they would be designated landmarks under city, county, or state law, not national law. The national law doesn’t restrict the property owner but city, county, or state law may. Here’s the national law:
Masted vessels no longer use the Sanitary & Ship Canal west of Ashland Ave. and there is enough vertical clearance for tug/barge combos when the bridges are in the lowered position. I’m not sure about the five movable vehicular bridges on the Calumet River but none of the movable vehicular bridges on the Chicago River and its branches are manned full-time. When the bridges need to be raised, at scheduled times for pleasure boats or as requested for the now-rare commercial freighter, three crews are assigned to operate the bridges and leap-frog up or down the river with the vessels.