Mathon Drive Bridge Replacement

Baxter & Woodman provided Phase I Project Development Report, Phase II Design, and Phase III Construction services for a superstructure replacement.

The Mathon Drive structure consists of a four-span, continuous steel girder bridge approximately 70 feet wide and 350 feet long. The bridge spans a rail yard with nine sets of active railroad tracks below. The concrete median was removed to accommodate new on-street bicycle lanes connecting the City’s downtown to the lakefront. Federal STP funds were added to the project to reconstruct Pershing Road and to allow the construction of a new multi-use path. Coordination with local agencies, including IDOT, Illinois Commerce Commission, and the Union Pacific Railway, was ongoing throughout the project.

The bridge was laid out to be replaced in two stages, to allow the contractor to complete the work without requiring access to the rail yard below.