CHICAGO — Metra will receive a $17.8 million federal grant to replace an aging bridge near its Grayland station in Chicago, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced this week.
The project will replace a 120-year-old bridge over Milwaukee Avenue adjacent to the station on the Milwaukee North line. The route is also used by Amtrak’s Hiawatha and Empire Builder trains.
The grant is part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program, which helps fund capital projects for publicly owned railroad assets, as well as improve intercity rail passenger performance.
“We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have shown us once again that they understand the value of Metra by helping us obtain the funding needed to improve our system,” Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a news release. “This project is crucial for increasing reliability and performance for our customers along the Milwaukee District North Line.”
Ray Lang, Amtrak senior director, state and local government affairs, added in the same release, “Amtrak trains use this bridge up to 16 times daily … and we gladly supported Metra’s grant application.”
Great news!
This bridge just happens to be the worse of the worse. There are several hundred bridges of this type all over the Chicago city limits like this. When the city had the railroads “rise up” some used reinforced concrete. Some others used iron or steel. Between 1900-1929 many, many miles or rail were raised throughout the city.
Quite a few on non-arterial streets are just plumb closed. Several years ago, a sinkhole formed in a rail yard where one of these former bridges gave way.
Just as it took 30 years for them to rise, it will take consistent dough for the next 30 years to replace them.
A grant here, a grant there, another application for another grant somewhere, lobbying some senator or some bureaucrat for this that or the other grant, is no substitute for a maintenance of effort plan for ongoing capital improvements. But it’s what we have.