HINSDALE, Ill. — Planning is underway for the widening of an Illinois toll road that will require BNSF to build a new bridge on its triple-track main line west of Chicago, although Hinsdale opposes the project, the Hinsdale Doings reports.
The BNSF bridge over Interstate 294 between Hinsdale and Western Springs is the narrowest point on the stretch of highway that is to be widened from four to six lanes in each direction. To replace it, the railroad will build a shoofly with a three-track temporary bridge, then remove and replace the existing bridge. More than 150 Metra, BNSF, and Amtrak trains use the route daily.
The project’s timeline is a lengthy one: Site preparation is projected to begin in August 2019 and take a year, with the construction of the temporary bridge from August to December 2020. The removal and replacement of the current bridge would follow in 2021.
Neighborhood concerns over the project include the possibility that construction will encroach onto residents’ property, construction traffic, and the construction of a railroad siding that will be used to store maintenance equipment.
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