UPRR North Line Bridges
Union Pacific Railroad | Chicago, IL
| This $70 million project along Metra’s Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) North line entailed the reconstruction of 11 railroad bridge structures and the construction of Metra’s Ravenswood Station. After performing design work through an open-ended contract with Metra, Benesch was enlisted to provide construction management services for the 100+ year-old structures on this same line.
Constructing the new commuter pedestrian tunnel at Metra’s Ravenswood Station while maintaining rail traffic required innovative construction staging in order to maintain operations and reduce impacts on commuters and the motoring public. The staging concept for the bridges kept two tracks in service at all times, with the new tracks relocated to the extreme edges of the existing right-of-way. This solution involved utilizing an extensive sheet piling system designed to facilitate staged construction. Extensive and timely coordination with the Union Pacific Railroad, the Chicago Department of Emergency Management, and local businesses and residents was also a key step in keeping the project on schedule. |
