About that lift bridge just south of Kinzie

OK this isn't Metra, but I see it every day from Metra. Please move it elsewhere if necessary.

This one:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll= ... 5&t=h&z=19

As can easily be seen from this satellite view, there is only one track and it's blocked off with a concrete barrier. So that means the bridge is definitely not in service.

Does anyone here know the answer to these questions:

Could it be used again?
Is there any plan to demolish it?

Thank you.

At one time, CNW served several customers east of the river via this bridge on its Navy Pier branch. It's been officially OOS for quite sometime, and though I'm not aware of any demolition plans, I'm not sure if it could really be used again. The tracks to the west lead to North Ave. yard, but all of the old trackage east of the bridge has been built over by newer development...

That is the oldest stretch of railroad in Chicago. At one time, CNW had their station where today's Merchandise Mart was and a freight spur all the way to Navy Pier. The founder of the NortWestern could sit in his office atop the station and watch the train come in all the way from Geneva with a telescope when few buildings stood in the way. About 100 years ago the railroad moved the terminal to today's Ogilvie station. About 1989 the last freight customer moved off the branch. Trains Mag had an article about that line about four years back.

Thanks for jogging my memory Tad, I've got that Trains article somewhere, and after my initial response, I did remember it having some kind of historic significance. I'll see if I can dig it up...

Thanks.

Staying tuned.

Everything about this line is on this cool site:

www.chicagoswitching.com

Last customer wasn't too long ago. It was the Chicago Sun Times receiving paper until 2000 according to the web site.

I think the city government is still enforcing the right of way easement or owns it, or it might be railbanked, so any buildings built over it are using air rights. This would include Apparel Center (current Sun Times location), Merchandise Mart, Marina City, and the Wrigley building, and they all existed when the line was in service. Trump is where the old Sun Times building was, and I'm pretty sure they left room where the track was. Further east the right of way is sketchy.

It is the route that has been proposed for express busses or light rail, and the grade is connected with some lower level streets.

The Carroll Avenue Transitway. Looks like it traces the C&NW Navy Pier branch except the bit that steps around the parking lot north of NBC Tower. (PDF Map)

Chris, that website is awesome. I live up by Finkl & Sons, and I love reading about the street running around here.

DP, if you remember the date on that article in Trains let me know, I'll try to find mine.

Track's been cut between Lasalle and Wells Sts. Former ROW under Wells is currently a staging/storage area for construction of condo building on SE corner of Wells & Kinzie.