A $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will allow Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest to restart dormant efforts to undertake a multi-million-dollar project to replace the railroad bridge at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and South Boulevard that is more than 100 years old.
The grant, which was awarded to River Forest, will allow officials from the three municipalities to complete the project’s Phase 1 study, which was started in 2008. The next step is for the three municipalities to approve an updated intergovernmental agreement. Eventually, the three will need agreement on an IGA from other stakeholders – the Union Pacific Railroad, the Chicago Transit Agency, Metra and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“Part of the continued Phase I work will be engaging with those other parties,” Village Administrator Matt Walsh said. “The study will help provide all parties with the necessary information to reach a broader IGA. This will involve Metra and IDOT as well.”
Walsh said initial discussions with the CTA and the UP “have been positive.” He also acknowledged that the project “has been out there for some time.”
The bridge was originally built in the 1920s to carry the Chicago and Northwestern Railway tracks over Harlem. It now carries tracks of Metra, the UP and the CTA. The purpose of the reconstruction project is to eliminate the congestion problems caused by the configuration of the existing structure, which has remained essentially unchanged since its construction over 100 years ago despite significant increases in traffic along Harlem Avenue.
With the DCEO grant secured, River Forest officials voted to approve an agreement with Chicago-based H. W. Lochner Inc., an infrastructure services provider, to complete the Harlem Avenue Viaduct Phase 1 Study for $248,211. The four trustees present at the Sept. 9 village board meeting voted unanimously to enter into the updated IGA and approve the agreement with Lochner. Trustees Bob O’Connell and Respicio Vazquez did not attend.
Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, told officials that “having a completed Phase 1 opens doors” to funding.
“The expected cost will be significant,” Walsh said. In 2023, the cost estimate was $30 million and is likely higher now. He said staff members will look for grant funding at the state and federal level.
Bielak explained that Phase I engineering that was started in 2008 needs to be updated, especially the traffic patterns.
The bridge structure will be a single-span through-girder bridge supported by drilled-shaft caissons with a minimum clearance of 14 feet, 9 inches, he said in a memo to Walsh. Roadway improvements will require the lowering of Harlem to achieve a vertical clearance along with adjacent roadway improvements, new turn lanes and sidewalk improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
In answer to a question from trustee Erika Bachner, Bielak indicated lowering Harlem will not impact water and sewer lines under the street.
Additional hurdles that need to be cleared involve the other stakeholders.
UP officials indicated they will not move forward with additional reviews needed to reach an IGA unless review fees, which could range from $50,000 to $100,000 are paid, Bielak said. Also, according to standard UP policies, the UP will not approve an IGA or the project unless bridge maintenance and ownership is transferred after the project, meaning IDOT would need to accept ownership.
Furthermore, to receive support from the CTA, agency officials indicated they would like to keep their station and yard west of Harlem open during the work and requested that work be done off hours for almost the entire project, he said.
In 2008, preliminary engineering of Phase 1 was started to evaluate options for replacement/rehabilitation of the bridge and improvement of traffic flow through the intersection, Bielak said. Initial funding for Phase 1 was provided through a $798,400 Federal High Priority Project grant along with approximately $201,600 in local funds split among the three municipalities with Forest Park and River Forest each paying 25% and Oak Park paying 50%.
“I’m very confident of the process,” Village President Cathy Adduci said. “I think the three villages could get something significant.”
