CHICAGO TRACK ELEVATION

BALTIMORE & OHIO

Main Line

(Baltimore & Ohio is formerly Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad.)

Ordinances passed by the City of Chicago, requiring the railroads to elevate their trackage. Ordinances are listed chronologically at the Chicago Track Elevation page, which contains a more comprehensive background on track elevation in Chicago.

Ordinances are listed sequentially along the line, along with further commentary.


Line is grade separated to 87th St. via freight line, except for 71st St. which will be separated as part of the CREATE plan. Line is also grade separated from 93rd St. to Indiana State Line.


Polk St.
March 21, 1887
Ordinance for Polk St. viaduct viaduct over Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad.

Taylor St.
October 14, 1889
Ordinance for Taylor St. viaduct viaduct over Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad.

Roosevelt Rd.
October 25, 1886
Ordinance for 12th St. (Roosevelt Rd.) viaduct over Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad.

Roosevelt Rd. to Canal St.
July 8, 1926
Ordinance for straightening of the Chicago River south of downtown Chicago. The Baltimore & Ohio line south of Grand Central Station would be most significantly impacted, as it originally crossed at a bend in the river north of Roosevelt Rd. A new bridge would need to be constructed at 16th St., parallel to a relocated bridge of the St. Charles Air Line. West of the river, both railroads would be elevated crossing Canal St.

Canal St.
1873
Opening of Canal St. viaduct over paralleling Burlington Route and Chicago & North Western South Branch. Viaduct extended 1886 to accommodate construction of Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad.

Union Street to Robey St.
July 7, 1902
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Burlington Route and Chicago & North Western South Branch and Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad from Union Street to Robey St. (Damen Ave.). Ordinance also for raising of Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway bridge at 16th St. over these railroads. Deadline for completion December 31, 1908. Ordinance amended December 14, 1908, extending deadline for completion to December 31, 1909. Ordinance amended June 20, 1910, extending deadline for completion to August 1, 1910.

Robey St. to Marshall Blvd.
September 3, 1907
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Burlington Route and Chicago & North Western South Branch and Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad from Robey St. (Damen Ave.) to Washtenaw Ave. on Burlington Route, and to 12th St. (Roosevelt Rd.) on other two railroads, and elevation of paralleling Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad and Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis and Chicago Junction Railway from 12th St. (Roosevelt Rd.) to Marshall Blvd. (31st Blvd.) Ordinance also for raising of Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway bridge at Campbell Ave. over several of these railroads. Deadline for completion December 31, 1910. Ordinance amended December 19, 1910, extending deadline for completion to December 31, 1911.

34th St. to Western Blvd.
May 22, 1899
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Illinois Central (Chicago Madison & Northern) and Santa Fe from 22nd St. (Cermak Rd.) to Ash Street, and elevation of paralleling Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad and Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis and Chicago Junction Railway from 34th St. to Western Blvd. (near Pershing Rd.) Deadline for completion December 31, 1902. Ordinance amended June 26, 1899, extending deadline for completion to December 31, 1903. Ordinance amended December 21, 1903, extending deadline for completion to December 31, 1904.

Western Blvd. to 51st St.
June 18, 1902
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad and Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis and Chicago Junction Railway from Western Blvd. (near Pershing Rd.) to 51st St. Deadline for completion December 31, 1906. Later replaced with new ordinance dated April 22, 1912 (see below).

Western Blvd. to 69th St.
April 22, 1912
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Baltimore & Ohio (former Chicago Terminal & Transfer Railroad) and Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis from Western Blvd. (near Pershing Rd.) to 69th St., for elevation of Chicago River & Indiana Railroad (Chicago Junction Railway) from 43rd St. to Indiana Harbor Belt connection, and elevation of Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis Englewood Connecting Line from Leavitt Ave. to Halsted St. Deadline for completion December 31, 1918.

69th St. to 87th St.
July 11, 1928
Ordinance for elevation of Wabash from Wood St. to Western Ave., for elevation of Belt Railway of Chicago from Western Ave. to Wood St., and elevation of paralleling Baltimore & Ohio and Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis from 69th St. to 87th St. Various deadlines for completion of certain segments, deadline for final completion December 31, 1935.

Trackage was never elevated at 71st St. in compliance with the track elevation ordinances. Grade crossing will be eliminated with the CREATE plan.

Western Ave. (old freight line)
March 12, 1924
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Belt Railway of Chicago and Wabash and Baltimore & Ohio freight line at Western Ave. At the time, the Baltimore & Ohio freight line diverged from the passenger line at 75th Street interlocking, replaced with present route diverging at 79th Street with ordinance adopted June 30, 1926. Deadline for completion December 31, 1925.

79th St. Jct. to 83rd St. (freight line)
June 30, 1926
Ordinance for relocation and elevation of Baltimore & Ohio freight line from 79th Street Jct. to 83rd St. Prior to then, the Baltimore & Ohio freight line diverged from the passenger line at 75th Street interlocking. Deadline for completion December 31, 1929.

Via freight line, first grade crossing is 87th St., which will be eliminated with the CREATE plan.

Trackage was never elevated at 87th St. via passenger line.

Trackage rights via Rock Island previously used between Beverly Jct. and South Chicago.

90th St. to 100th St.
June 25, 1906
Ordinance for elevation of paralleling Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago from Stony Island Ave. to 100th St., for elevation of Baltimore & Ohio from 90th St. to 100th St., for elevation of Illinois Central South Chicago Branch from 90th St. to 93rd St., and elevation of paralleling Belt Railway of Chicago and Rock Island South Chicago Line from Jeffery Ave. to South Chicago Ave. Deadline for completion December 31, 1911, west portions December 31, 1916. Ordinance not accepted by Illinois Central, revised ordinance for that line adopted July 1, 1912. Ordinance amended December 18, 1911, extending deadline for completion of initial work to December 31, 1912.

Above ordinance remained unfulfilled from 90th St. to 93rd St., via Brookdale Line.


Grade Separation Projects Never Completed
Ordinance was passed for passenger line to be grade separated to the city limits, including via Rock Island trackage rights, which never happened.