Rock Island Bridge 87 at 79th Street Clearance Improvement Project

Modifications to railway bridges improve flexibility and safety along Norfolk Southern and Belt Railway of Chicago rail lines.

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program is a public-private partnership designed to improve how passengers and goods move over rail.

As the structural designer and project manager, Ardmore Roderick prepared the structural design to modify and raise two of the five spans of Rock Island Bridge 87. The project required new bearing seats/ bolsters and temporary shoring towers for jack support. Ardmore Roderick proposed special construction methods to maintain access to weekday trains and minimize disruption to train traffic. The design also outlined special safety measures given the age of the bridge and the suspected presence of hazardous material.