Long-in-the-works plans to replace an old bridge in Elgin over the Fox River that is used by commuter and freight trains are about to be put into action.
Metra’s Board of Directors recently approved awarding a $21.6 million contract to Illinois Constructors Corporation of Elburn for replacing a 136-year-old bridge along the Milwaukee District West Line. The bridge, known as Z100 by Metra, is about a mile from downtown Elgin and is 35 miles from Union Station in downtown Chicago where the commuter route ends.
Construction is planned to begin this fall and is expected to take about three years to complete.
“At this point we think we’ll likely start in November,” Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said.
According to a Metra release, the project will replace the existing single-track bridge with a double-track one built to modern standards. The contract covers the bridge structure, with Metra crews building and installing the project’s track and signal elements.
“This bridge project is extremely important for improving the reliability, performance and operational flexibility of the Milwaukee District West Line,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Don Orseno said in a statement. “We’re happy to move this project forward and thankful for the support we’ve received from our delegation in Washington to secure the funding we needed.”
With assistance from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and then-U.S. Rep., now U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Metra received a $14 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the $34 million project. Metra and Canadian Pacific Railway will share the remaining cost, with $6 million provided by the railway and $14 million coming from Metra.
Duckworth came to Elgin in May 2014 to tout the TIGER grants and to take a look at the aging bridge. Upon inspecting the site she said, “We can’t afford not to fix it.”
In a statement related to the contract being awarded, Duckworth noted that the project should improve passenger safety, save commuters thousands of hours in wasted travel time each year and boost the area’s economy.
“Investing in our state’s infrastructure is one of the most important things we can do to move Illinois forward, and I’m proud to use my posts on the Senate committees with jurisdiction over infrastructure to support jobs and grow our state’s economy,” Duckworth said.
According information provided by Metra, the 500-foot bridge carries 54 Metra trains and up to eight Canadian Pacific freight trains each weekday. The structure originally was built in 1881. Half its spans were replaced in 1905 and the other half in 1926. Signal equipment dates to the 1950s.
In March, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain was among those at a public hearing in Elgin where Metra collected comments about the project. Kaptain recalled playing on the railroad bridge as a teen, back when there wasn’t as much train traffic, he said.
“It’s long overdue,” Kaptain said.
