CREATE: GS6 - 25th Avenue

GS6 is a grade separation between 25th Avenue and CNW/UP tracks in Bellwood, IL. On the CREATE status map it is supposed to be in the construction phase. But the only activity I could see is that they have erected a sign.

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I was not aware of this CREATE project when I did my field trip. The reason I was in this neighborhood was to check out projects B2&B3.

I was going North on US-12 to check out the pedestrian walks on the bridge over Proviso Yard. The good news is that it had walks on both sides of the bridge. The bad news is that those high fences that curve inwards is an indication that I'm in a "questionable" neighborhood. So I kept on driving until I got across the bridge and could turn right. And then I drove east until I could turn right again, which was on 25th Avenue. I had noticed that many of the parking lots were surrounded by fences with barbed wire on top. Another indication that the neighborhood has had issues. But when I saw the sign, I pulled into a driveway to take a picture. When I was done, I noticed that a security guard was walking towards me. I explained that I was just taking a picture of the sign, and I left.

Since there was no traffic behind me, I stopped on the C&NW/UP crossing to take pictures looking West and then East. But you can tell by the crooked picture I was nervous about setting on the crossing too long. The rail overpass in the west-looking view is the IHB.

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I was surprised that they plan to do an overpass instead of an underpass because the tracks are a few feet higher than the road here and we have seen that the project managers seem to prefer underpasses.

Update:
I have a friend that used this street in his commute. He reported a couple of years ago that they shut it down completely for the work. There are not a lot of crossings so any detour he tries is bad.

Bill Molony shared and IDOT posting of an IDOT Instagram, Sep. 16, 2016

Here's a look at the CREATE GS6 project at 25th Ave. between Lake Street and St. Charles Road in Bellwood.

The improvements eliminate grade crossing, reduce congestion and improve safety for 21,000 vehicles and 38 Pace buses per day.

The new overpass opened Dec. 22, 2016. "The railroad overpass project was made possible by a $22.2 million contribution from Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), $2.4 million from the villages of Bellwood and Melrose Park and $16.4 million from federal, railroad and other state sources." I noticed they dodged the question of how much Union Pacific and the Feds contributed to the $41 million project.

Satellite

A satellite image downloaded in Nov 2017 shows that they had done some of the pier work for the overpass.

An Arturo Gross Flickr 1994 photo of a westbound intermodal at 25th Avenue provides another "before" photo. (source)

Jerry Jackson commented on Arturo's posting
This was right off the northeast corner of the 25th ave crossing.
Probably mid-80's.

Update: I did a satellite image check on 10/30/2018 and it has not changed.