EOWA Mega Bridge & Track Relocation

The Elgin O’Hare Western Access (EOWA) project is a regionally and nationally significant infrastructure initiative aimed at improving access to O’Hare Airport, a major job center, and surrounding communities in the Chicago area. A key component of the program involved the relocation of the Union Pacific Railroad’s (UPRR) Milwaukee subdivision to accommodate the new I-490 tollway while minimizing disruptions to network operations.

Benesch served as construction manager for the $200 million railroad relocation, providing construction management, field inspection and submittal review services for the temporary and permanent track relocations needed to accommodate the new tollway.

The project involved the construction of a 1,700-foot Mega Bridge spanning Franklin Avenue, the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail yard and Metra tracks. Additional improvements included new retaining walls, temporary shoring systems, a bridge over Grand Avenue accommodating the new Yard 9 bypass track, an arch culvert, drainage improvements and extensive track realignments.

The work took place within a highly constrained rail corridor, requiring close coordination among Union Pacific, the Illinois Tollway, contractors and numerous stakeholders. Benesch managed multiple phased track cutovers and temporary alignments while protecting adjacent active rail infrastructure and minimizing disruptions to rail operations.

The completed railroad relocation made way for the construction of the I-490 Tollway, a critical link that will provide direct western access to O’Hare Airport. Once complete, the corridor will improve connectivity between the airport, surrounding communities and the regional transportation network.