(Satellite, Clark Junction is where the Brown Line leaves the Red+Purple Lines)
Some more names for the Brown Line Flyover are Belmont Flyover and Red-Purple Bypass. It is part of a $1.7b Red-Purple Modernization Project. It opened in Nov of 2021. Phase 1 is also part of this project.
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| Marty Bernard posted CTA 6000s, NB Ravenswood crossing over at Clark Junction and Tower, shot from Belmont Station, Chicago, 12/14/1972 Of course this is all different now. The old Clark Tower in the photo is long gone. The train in the photo would be up on the new flyover. Marty Bernard shared Marty Bernard shared again Marty had a new comment on this post: A CTA Ravenswood Train Blocking All Four Tracks Chicago Transit Authority northbound Ravenswood Train crossing over at Clark Junction and Tower and blocking all four tracks. This does not occur anymore due to the new flyover. The old tower is gone also and the new tower is on the right of the four tracks closer to my camera. The shot is from the now gone bridge over the tracks at the Belmont Station on thr frosty morning of December. 14, 1972. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's share A currently accessible satellite image is old enough that it does not show the construction, thus it shows that the steel substructure for the tower was still standing. https://www.google.com/.../@41.9427768,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3 |
As Marty's photo above illustrates, northbound Brown Line trains have to cut across the three other Red+Purple tracks. The flyover will not only eliminate stopping the Red+Purple trains when a northbound Brown Line train enters the junction, it will allow all of the trains to use a higher speed through the junction. I presume that the higher speeds are possible because the track work is simplified.
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| Before via Bypass Project |
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| After via Bypass Project |
Another "before" photo. Note the tower and junction in the background.
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| Historic Chicago posted Chicago Transit Authority - Belmont (1931) US City Views posted Belmont Station Chicago (1931) In 1931, Belmont Station was a key stop on the Chicago Transit Authority’s elevated rail system, serving the Lakeview neighborhood. The station was a vital link for commuters traveling to and from downtown Chicago, providing access to the city’s extensive public transportation network. The surrounding area was a mix of residential buildings, local businesses, and entertainment venues, reflecting the vibrant community life of Lakeview. The station itself, with its distinctive architecture and busy platforms, was a focal point of daily activity. Belmont Station in 1931 captured the essence of Chicago’s commitment to efficient and accessible public transportation, connecting neighborhoods and fostering urban growth. |
Nov 1, 2021:
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| 1:04 video @ 0:14 CTA Red-Purple Bypass: Track Slide |
Nov 18, 2021:
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| CTA RPM posted Alert: The new Red-Purple Bypass opens tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 19! The new Bypass carries Kimball-bound (northbound) Brown Line trains over north- and southbound Red and Purple Line tracks just north of Belmont station to remove traffic jams at this intersection. Take a ride from Belmont to Southport stations to experience better CTA service for yourself. We’re excited to hit the first major milestone of the RPM project! The Walsh Group shared Big News!! |
The bypass is showing up in a satellite image, but it has yet to be connected on the south side.
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| Satellite |
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| Street View, Nov 2021 |
A corresponding "before" view.
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| Street View, Oct 2016 |
The flyover is done and they are now rebuilding the tracks north of Belmont Station.
[This steel is old enough that it should be premium scrap steel because it was made 100% with iron ore. There would be no recycled metal in this steel.]
Nov 12, 2018:
Jun 17, 2022:
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Mar 16, 2022:
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| CTA RPM posted How’s this for a part-time job? Loop-bound Brown Line trains will begin using this temporary track while we demolish and rebuild the Red and Purple lines just north of Belmont. Kimball-bound Brown Line trains will continue to use the new bypass! All train service will continue throughout construction. |
Apr 6, 2022:
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| CTA RPM posted It’s getting rail! 🛤 Loop-bound Brown Line trains today began using a new temporary elevated track, that was built over the last year, while we demolish and rebuild the old tracks north of Belmont station. This temporary track will be used through 2025, making it one of the longest running temporary track structures in Chicago Transit Authority history! |
Nov 12, 2018:
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| Steven J. Brown posted CTA Brown Line - Ravenswood at Belmont before the flyover in Chicago, Illinois - November 12, 2018. |
Apr 21, 2022:
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| 0:13 video @ 0:01 This might spark your interest! 🎇 Watch as workers cut parts of the old steel track structure just north of Belmont station as demolition continues. This steel structure has carried Red and Purple line trains for over a century, and now it gets to retire, making way for the new concrete structure coming in 2025. The steel that is removed during this process will be recycled, and some will be saved for a future historic exhibit at Belmont station! |
Jun 17, 2022:
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| CTA RPM posted Zelma Williams: Where is this station? Spencer Colton: By the looks of it, this is just behind the recently relocated Vautravers building near Belmont station. |
Jun 29, 2022:
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| CTA RPM posted They do a quiz about the depth of the shaft, but they never provide an answer. I suspect it is all of the above (50, 60, 70 and 80 feet) depending on the depth of the hard pan or rock. |
Aug 2. 2022:
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| CTA RPM posted Beautiful day at the Red-Purple Bypass! |
Mar 5, 2022: I added the "cement" label to these notes because the new flyover is falling apart already! The Chicago Tribune also had an article on this problem with a photo showing several "holes" in the structure.
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| safe_image for RED-PURPLE BYPASS DAMAGED MERE MONTHS AFTER OPENING, CITY SAYS STILL PERFECTLY SAFE TO OPERATE The article said these holes are where the contractor, Walsh-Fluor, proactively removed concrete that was spalling. And the spalling is because water got into the "components" and then froze. But why would water be getting into a brand new structure? The Chicago Tribune article included that the contractors have to repair it at no additional cost to the CTA. |
Sep 22, 2022:
2 of 4 photos posted by AdiL Khan with the comment: "Santa pilots the CTA Holiday Train over the Belmont Flyover and through Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. With Christmas now less than 10 days away, Santa and the CTA have been busy delivering meals and holiday cheer around our city and will continue to do so through 12/23.
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| CBS Chicago shared the link: Why is the concrete still falling on the still-new CTA Brown Line flyover, and why no fix? Post: "They said this would be a jewel of Chicago, and this is not a jewel of Chicago," said Timothy Sable. "This is literally a hazard." Article: "The CTA told us the contractor [Walsh-Fluor] skipped grout on some locations altogether, and put too little in others. Thus, water got in and the structure started decaying." |
2 of 4 photos posted by AdiL Khan with the comment: "Santa pilots the CTA Holiday Train over the Belmont Flyover and through Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. With Christmas now less than 10 days away, Santa and the CTA have been busy delivering meals and holiday cheer around our city and will continue to do so through 12/23.
📸 : @chidrone"
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| 2:18 timelapse video @ 1:02 (source) Windy City Gantry Time Lapse at Red-Purple Modernization Time lapse footage of the 285-foot-long Windy City Gantry assembling precast concrete bridge segments for the Chicago Transit Authority's Red-Purple Modernization. The gantry is erecting the bridge structure for the new Red and Purple Line tracks from Leland Avenue to Ardmore Ave on the northside of Chicago. |
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| 9:04 video @ 3:52 [I never saw the gantry crane. Evidently he was on the Brown Line and the gantry is further north.] |
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