UP#4971 East
- Thread starter 289v8
- Start date
They probably were originally all the same, just repaired as they needed repair.
Cicero Avenue under the Lake Street Elevated tracks about 1955. The iron support girders were erected about 1890, street was paved with brick, and after streetcar service was discontinued the brick was paved over with asphalt about 1960. In the 90s the elevated structure was 100 years old, Chicago winters mean lots of rock salt to keep the streets from icing up, salt means corrosion on 100 year old iron. Solution was to support the structure with temporary beams, saw off the bottom rusted part of the old iron support girders, and build up to the new bottom with reinforced concrete. While the work was in progress it looked very similar to those bridge supports, with some girders going all the way to the ground and others sitting on 4 foot high concrete blocks.
Cicero Avenue under the Lake Street Elevated tracks about 1955. The iron support girders were erected about 1890, street was paved with brick, and after streetcar service was discontinued the brick was paved over with asphalt about 1960. In the 90s the elevated structure was 100 years old, Chicago winters mean lots of rock salt to keep the streets from icing up, salt means corrosion on 100 year old iron. Solution was to support the structure with temporary beams, saw off the bottom rusted part of the old iron support girders, and build up to the new bottom with reinforced concrete. While the work was in progress it looked very similar to those bridge supports, with some girders going all the way to the ground and others sitting on 4 foot high concrete blocks.
I quite agree.
illinoiscentral
SARM Volunteer
The smaller supports are not original. They were added as the bridge aged, only the stone bottomed supports are original.
Cheers,
Woody
Cheers,
Woody