Englewood flyover progress

[MetraUPWest]

Sorry, I should've been a bit more specific. There is a temporary platform that has been built for the Heritage on the side opposite of the current station (east side of the tracks). I'm not sure if the Heritage will start using the temporary platform when the Rock Island trains start using the new Rock platform on the 22nd or if they'll start using it at a later date, but it is there, and it's done. You enter it at street level right near the entrance to Silver Cross Field.

Construction for a permanent platform for the Heritage will start after the Rock station is fully completed as you mentioned.

I haven't come across any recent renderings of the new stations. They recently encountered a snag and have redesing basically the entire project. Why? In all of the original renditions UD Tower was demolished. They have come to discover that the basement of UD serves as part of the retaining wall holding up the tracks. A new wall would have to be built, and Joliet doesn't want to spend the money, so at least part of the tower will stay. They have not yet decided if they will just leave the basement and tear down the upper level of the tower, or just leave the entire tower intact.

They are considering turning the Tower into a museum- complete with the interlocking machine- and opening it to the public. I really hope they do. I've been up there a few times. It's an awesome place. A real step back in time. It would be really cool if the public could see it, too. You can get some amazing shots of trains, too ;-).

 

[MetraUPWest]

They're cutting out the old track 2 as we speak. Track 2 on the Flyover will he open in time for the rush hour Monday morning, and track 1 will be cut in next weekend. After the 2 tracks are cut in the old mains will be removed and construction on the 3rd track flyover will start.

 

[neroden]

Wow! Thanks for the info on both projects.

I'm betting NS will replace the diamonds with straight rail ASAP (they're very high-maintenance) as soon as Metra traffic has moved onto the flyover, so the diamonds could be history by the first week of October. It'll be really interesting to see whether this makes a difference in Amtrak schedule reliability.

There used to be these routine delays of 10+ minutes on the final westbound Chicago approach right before Englewood, though lately that has been swamped by delays caused by trackwork elsewhere. NS has claimed that this is the biggest chokepoint on their entire network, so maybe the dispatchers will be able to make things move more fluidly without it.

As for Joliet, what I've really been trying to figure out is:

(1) where the pedestrian underpasses are going to run when the station is finished: the buses are going in the SW corner and the train platforms in the NE corner, so they're certainly going to be heavily used underpasses;

(2) how the platforms are going to be laid out relative to the tracks: some renditions show side platforms for Heritage Corridor, some show a center platform; (personally, I'd prefer side platforms as it would be easier to restore service along the BNSF route if it proved necessary)

(3) how this will accomodate the planned High Speed Rail service, which would use the curve from UP to Rock Island: would it back up into the Rock Island platform or what? Would extra platforms be built?

(4) how layovers by Heritage Corridor trains are going to be handled: or do all trains have to stay in downtown Chicago overnight with outbound trains early in the morning?

I think it would be wonderful if they made UD Tower into a museum open to the public. It looks to me like you could run a platform for Heritage Corridor straight north of it (though one bridge widening would be needed over US 30), and then wrap a walkway around the back of the tower at track/platform level to connect to the Rock Island platform. (Footbridges are cheaper than other types of bridges... less weight to carry.)

 

[MikefromCrete]

Heritage Corridor trains overnight (and weekend) at Metra's Joliet yard on the Rock Island. They pull south of the crossing and use the connecting track to the Rock. Metra's yard is two-three blocks east of Joliet Union Station.

 

[MetraUPWest]

The diamonds and both "old" Rock island mains will be removed once the other track of the Flyover is cut in next weekend.

As far as Joliet goes, here's a link to the newest rendition of the station plans-

http://www.cityofjoliet.info/index.aspx?page=596

(1)New Street will be closed off as a thru street and the pedestrian underpass will be where New Street currently is.

(2) The HC/Amtrak Temporary platform is on the side serving the UP track on the opposite side of the current station. The permanent HC platform will be constructed between the 2 UP mains and accessed via tunnels.

(3) When Amtrak moves onto the Rock a second platform will be built along the aide of the wye track that connects the Rock to the UP for Amtrak's exclusive use.

(4) The HC equipment will be stored in the Joliet coach yard just like they are now. The HC trains shove out od the yard and around the wye onto the UP, then pull into their platform. This will remain unchanged.

UD Tower will be spared and serve as a museum. It was discovered that the foundation of the tower also serves as part of the retaining wall holding up the tracks so it's cheaper to keep it than construct a whole new wall. The new permanent Joliet station will be built behind UD and connect to both the HC and Rock Island platforms as well as the Amtrak platform on the Rock when it is built, so no foot bridge connecting the Rock and HC will be necessary.

 

[chicagorr]

As mentioned, it looks like they put one of the tracks in service over the weekend as on the way to work this morning I saw a southbound metra rock island train head over the new flyover..good news!i was unaware,did you say there will be three tracks eventually?? seems kind an expensive to build a bridge for a siding or is there a plan to triple track a longer segment?

 

[MetraUPWest]

The long term plan is for the Rock to be triple track from around 75th Street all the way downtown. They will need the triple track when they move the Southwest Service into Lasalle Street Station. The connection will be around 74th Street somewhere- I don't remember an exact location. That's why they need another Flyover bridge.

 

[chicagorr]

well that makes sense...thanks. have to go for a ride to check it out sometime soon

 

[neroden]

Thanks for all the info and the link to the *current* Joliet plans!

So I guess the new station will sort of wrap around the back of UD tower. That doesn't exactly retain the historical context of the tower, but is probably the right thing to do anyway.

The conversion of New Street for the pedestrian underpass is sensible. But it's a bit of a roundabout -- and ugly -- walk via the sidewalk underpass on Michigan St./Mayor Art Schultz Dr. Not exactly a seamless connection. Hopefully they can pretty that underpass up, keep the mud thrown by cars from splashing on the pedestrians, maybe put up something to keep the rain off. Here's what it looks like now:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=joliet,+il&hl=en&ll=41.524066,-88.078852&spn=0.001446,0.001845&sll=42.746632,-75.770041&sspn=5.80852,7.558594&hnear=Joliet,+Will+County,+Illinois&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.524083,-88.078672&panoid=GNZ88WhrV_iL0FWzMtfxfw&cbp=12,347.7,,0,9.03

Regarding Englewood Flyover, I'm impressed that it is going to be pretty much open next week.

 

[neroden]

The long term plan is for the Rock to be triple track from around 75th Street all the way downtown. They will need the triple track when they move the Southwest Service into Lasalle Street Station. The connection will be around 74th Street somewhere- I don't remember an exact location. That's why they need another Flyover bridge.

The connection for the SW Service is part of this project: http://www.75thcip.org/

But if I remember correctly (which I may not) the triple tracking on the Rock Island Line is eventually planned to extend south of there to Gresham (where, of course, the line separates into four tracks, Beverly Branch and Mainline). The bridges are all wide enough in that section.

 

[neroden]

Sooooo.... "next weekend" is over. Has the last Metra train run across the diamonds? Have the diamonds been removed? I'm not on-site, and Audiofyl hasn't put up a new video lately, so I'm curious...

 

[MikefromCrete]

I drove under the overpass on the Dan Ryan yesterday and saw M/W equipment on the new bridge, but there's been no announcement about the completion of the project in the media. With election day rapidly approaching, I expect there will be a big to-do about the opening.

 

[afigg]

Sooooo.... "next weekend" is over. Has the last Metra train run across the diamonds? Have the diamonds been removed? I'm not on-site, and Audiofyl hasn't put up a new video lately, so I'm curious...

Audiofyl posted a new video yesterday, but this one is from the window of a Metra train going over the flyover: Metra Rock Island Englewood Flyover.

 

[neroden]

That video is a lot of fun, but...

Audiofyl picked a consistent viewpoint for all his (her?) videos; unfortunately, that viewpoint means we're on the northernmost/westernmost track looking north/west and can't see whether any further work is being done. :-(

 

[Octave C. Crow]

About the Englewood flyover: after the flyover is fully completed, will the existing RI bridge over the expressway remain and a wye track be installed on the SW corner of the existing diamonds? That way if Amtrak ever diverted trains from Saint Louis to the Metra/RI route the Amtrak trains could still have access to Union Station. No crossing on the old level would remain of course.

 

[MisterUptempo]

The diamonds and both "old" Rock island mains will be removed once the other track of the Flyover is cut in next weekend.

As far as Joliet goes, here's a link to the newest rendition of the station plans-

http://www.cityofjoliet.info/index.aspx?page=596

(1)New Street will be closed off as a thru street and the pedestrian underpass will be where New Street currently is.

(2) The HC/Amtrak Temporary platform is on the side serving the UP track on the opposite side of the current station. The permanent HC platform will be constructed between the 2 UP mains and accessed via tunnels.

(3) When Amtrak moves onto the Rock a second platform will be built along the aide of the wye track that connects the Rock to the UP for Amtrak's exclusive use.

(4) The HC equipment will be stored in the Joliet coach yard just like they are now. The HC trains shove out od the yard and around the wye onto the UP, then pull into their platform. This will remain unchanged.

UD Tower will be spared and serve as a museum. It was discovered that the foundation of the tower also serves as part of the retaining wall holding up the tracks so it's cheaper to keep it than construct a whole new wall. The new permanent Joliet station will be built behind UD and connect to both the HC and Rock Island platforms as well as the Amtrak platform on the Rock when it is built, so no foot bridge connecting the Rock and HC will be necessary.

I know that I'm off-topic on this, considering this about the Flyover, but since Joliet Union Station came up...I took a very quick trip to the station the other day, and took a few shots. I hope to do some more snooping when I get time.

This the eastern end of the new platform, with the heated shelter, stairway and elevator....

 

[MisterUptempo]

This is the western end of the platform, looking east...

A shot of the back of Tower UD from the western end of the new Rock Island platform. As has been mentioned already, the plans for the train station now call for the station to be built around the back of this tower...

These are the steps constructed for the temporary platform for the Heritage Corridor...

This is the temporary Amtrak office. Behind it, you can see the ramp that leads to the temporary Heritage Corridor platform...

 

[MisterUptempo]

Now, this puzzles me...Along the far right edge of this picture, as well as the picture from the western end of the new platform, there is a track I've never seen before(admittedly, I've haven't used Joliet station in ages). It looks newly laid. Was that track laid for the eventual transfer of the Lincoln Service/Texas Eagle onto the Rock Island tracks, or is it for use by Heritage Corridor trains to get into the yard immediately east of the Rock Island platform?

As you can see from Google Maps, it wasn't there the last time they looked...

Here is a slide from a Metra presentation(can't recall how far back) that shows a new track would be installed...The track laid would seem to be the aqua line in this shot...

 

[Ryan]

This might be a silly question, but I haven't been following this very closely.

Why was Union station closed? And why was it closed before the new permanent station was complete?

 

[chicagorr]

I have heard that as of today the NS dispatcher took over control of the Englewood interlocking from Metra

 

[MetraUPWest]

Sorry for the lack of updates!!

As is typical in every government project, the 2nd track cutover of the Flyover was delayed by a week. They cut the new track in yesterday. As of now it's not been activated but it will be up and running by tomorrow morning. The original Flyover track had its speed limit raised to 45mph as well. Eventually both tracks will be good for 79!

As far as the new Joliet station goes- yes that is a new wye connection track to the UP. They extended it so thay a Heritage train can now enter or leave the Joliet coach yard with a Rock Island train sitting in the station. It will eventually be a higher speed connection once the switches on the UP main are upgraded as well which will help Amtrak.

Ryan- to answer your questions there are a few reasons. JUS was closed mostly because the UP and BNSF (as well as Amtrak) were tired of getting held up at UD for Metra going across all day long. BNSF also- understandably so- didn't like passengers walking across both its mains to board Amtrak and Heritage Corridor trains. This BNSF line is the busiest intermodal line in the country, and the UD crossing was supposedly the single most congested point on the system.

The main reason we're using the new platform despite not having a station is so that the freight trains can run unabated much sooner. The timing of the new platforms being opened and the upcoming IL gubernatorial election were no accident, either. That same timing applies to the Englewood Flyover as well. Sad but true.

 

[neroden]

I have to wonder what the original layout of Joliet Union Station was. Originally there would have been an underpass to the original GMO platform, right? They would never have had people walking across the ATSF tracks to get to the GMO platform. When was that underpass closed? And *why*?

 

[afigg]

Audiofyl posted a new video last week from onboard a Metra train of the flyover looking out the east/south side: Metra Rock Island Englewood Flyover - Looking East. The Metra train was going at a good clip over the flyover.

The political dog and pony show dedication ceremony for the project will be on October 23. Progressive Railroading: CREATE program: 75th Street project moves forward; Englewood Flyover nears dedication. The combined 75th Street improvements project has published its FEIS and received a Record of Decision from the FHWA, so it has cleared a major environmental review and approval hurdle. Lining up the funds for it is going to be a challenge.