CNW Carroll Ave. bridge lowered!

[haggar]

Happened to catch said bridge in the down position with UP crews doing some work at 10 a.m. Welder was working on the northwest side of bridge at the joint. Got some decent phone pics but too large to post here. Will try to upload to flickr when I get a chance.

Joe

[cnwnorthline]

and it had a "train"

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151119/downtown/chicago-river-bridge-thats-almost-always-up-briefly-lowered-thursday

-Matt

[Brianbobcat]

Here a photo a friend of mine took.  Too bad they didn't publicize it.  It seems like some more people would've ventured over to see it down.

[Jsu]

This made my morning.  Thanks for putting it up.  Makes sense why they would do this out of tourist season.  Has anyone else managed to catch it before?

[Brianbobcat]

My question is, why do they want to keep it active?  The DNA Info article incorrectly states that the tracks are disconnected on each side of the bridge, but that's not true.  Isn't it still connected to the west?  I know that east of Wells the tracks were cut during skyscraper construction and not restored.  What does U.P. want with the bridge active, leasing rights if a light rail ever gets built?

[Suedehead]

According to Google Street View, there are still tracks on the west side of the bridge, although they look pretty rough and are nearly buried.  On the East side there are actually tracks that come off of the bridge disappear into the tunnel underneath the large building.

[Jsu]

Awhile ago I followed the tracks under the building, through Carroll Ave.  They ended in a 15ft high chain link fence under the Trump Tower.  It was hard to tell, but behind the fence seemed to be rubble.

[haggar]

Finally got around to posting these pics to Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35990458@N03/

[chrism]

Awhile ago I followed the tracks under the building, through Carroll Ave.  They ended in a 15ft high chain link fence under the Trump Tower.  It was hard to tell, but behind the fence seemed to be rubble.

I would have thought security would chase you out?  When I was taking pictures security came out  from the sun times building and was watching us.

[Jsu]

When I found this during the spring, I was on my bike.  When I do stuff like this on foot, I usually have time to talk myself out of possibly getting in a confrontation, like when I went to go back a couple weeks ago.  On a bike I usually just ride though.  When I walked under the sun-times building this winter, I actually did not see any security, either on foot or in a box.