Metra’s Board of Directors approved a USD 21.6 million contract to replace a 136-year-old rail bridge over the Fox River along the Milwaukee District West Line in Elgin. Illinois Constructors Corporation of Elburn was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
The bridge, located about 56 km from downtown Chicago, carries 54 Metra trains and up to eight Canadian Pacific freight trains each weekday. The bridge (also known by its bridge number, Z-100) was originally constructed in 1881. Although the structure has been regularly maintained, many components are significantly deteriorated and can no longer be economically repaired.
The project will replace the existing single-track bridge with a double-track bridge built to modern standards. The contract will cover the bridge structure, with Metra forces building and installing the project’s track and signal elements. Construction is planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and take about three years.
Metra received a USD 14 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the USD 34 million project. Metra and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) will share the remaining cost, with USD 6 million from CP and USD 14 million from Metra.
“This bridge project is extremely important for improving the reliability, performance and operational flexibility of the Milwaukee District West Line. We’re happy to move this project forward,” said Metra CEO Don Orseno.
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