Construction continues on a Chicago bridge project designed to reduce delays and improve fluidity by untangling freight and passenger rail lines.
The Forest Hill Flyover, known as P3, is a viaduct designed to eliminate or reduce a quartet of intersecting railroad tracks on the city’s South Side. It’s part of the public-private $4.6-billion Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program of 70 grade separations, flyovers and other rail projects to reduce the city’s notorious rail and roadway congestion.
The bridge structure will carry the north-south Western Avenue Corridor of CSX and eliminate some crossings with the east-west lines of freight carriers Belt Railway of Chicago, Union Pacific and the Metra commuter rail operator at Forest Hill Junction located at 75th Street and Western Avenue. A total of 35 freight trains operate daily on the CSX route and 30 trains as part of Metra’s SouthWest Service.
A drone video posted by CREATE on LinkedIn (see below) showed construction progress including bridge piers, steel girders, retaining walls, abutments and other structural elements.
“Our construction team, led by CSX, TranSystems and Granite Construction, has been hard at work to build this rail-rail flyover bridge which will address conflicts between The Belt Railway Company of Chicago, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Metra Commuter Rail trains,” said CREATE in the post.
Construction on P3 and the companion 71st Street Grade Separation of the CSX line began in October 2022 and is expected to be completed by third quarter 2025. Total estimated cost is $380 million, which includes a U.S. Department of Transportation grant of $132 million and $260 million in state, local, and private railroad funding.
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