CHICAGO — One of the major pieces of Chicago’s CREATE program marked a milestone on Wednesday, Oct. 15, as the first CSX Transportation train crossed the Forest Hill Flyover on the city’s South Side. The new structure separates CSX’s main line from tracks used by Metra, the Belt Railway of Chicago, and Norfolk Southern.
The Flyover is part of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, a series of infrastructure undertakings to address South Side rail congestion issues. By elevating CSX’s north-south main line above the east-west Metra, BRC, and NS tracks, the new bridge eliminates two sets of diamond crossings that were the source of major congestion as the intersection of 30 Metra SouthWest Service trains and about 35 freight trains.
Groundbreaking was held in October 2022 for the project, estimated at that time to cost $380 million, boosted by a $132 million federal grant in 20189, with the remainder coming from state and local goverments and railroads [see “Officials are out in force …,” Trains.com, Oct. 25, 2022]. The final girder on the new bridge was placed in July [see “CREATE’s Forest Hill Flyover …,” Trains.com, July 9, 2025].
A CSX video shows the first train to cross the Flyover.
The railroad says CSX and CREATE will hold a formal ceremony “in the coming weeks” to mark completion of the flyover.
CREATE project is coming along nicely. One down three to go. Next on the list Union Pacific needs to rip out Belt Junction and move its connection to the St Louis line down to 80th Street Junction which will also be rebuilt. Once this is done then we can rebuild 80th Street Junction and the Union Pacific tracks will be routed to the right side on the bridge over Ashwood yard and then out headed south towards St Louis. That will complete Phase 2 phase 3 has to deal with the Norfolk Southern tracks at Landers Yard these need to be realigned so there’s no congestion here. For phase 4 this is the big one Metra has to be taken out of the picture wrightwood station will be rebuilt, they will have their own dedicated tracks through the junction and then a flyover will be built to connect to the Rock Island line and from that point on all Metra trains will be serviced at LaSalle Street Station and not at Roosevelt yard which is owned by Amtrak. Amtrak can then use the reclaimed space at Union Station to build High-Speed Rail and the repurpose tracks can be used to relieve congestion on the Chillicothe subdivision also known as the grand crossing project which cannot begin until phase three of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement project is complete. Keep up the good work Chicago.
I hope the trains move faster over that flyover that as shown in the video, One could almost walk it that fast
And HSR in CHICAGO? Yeah, right like that is going to happen. Now if you are talking “enhanced speed rail” then maybe, But truly high speed rail? Pigs will fly first….
And the dust on UP/NS may have to settle before anything is known about Landers Yard… just sayin’…
One strand of spaghetti from the bowl untangled, at least a dozen more to go.
Yep and now they can move on to phase 2. Time to take Union Pacific out of the picture. Union Pacific operates Belt Junction which they operate with BRC. To service St Louis Union Pacific trains have to go from proviso which is at the top go underneath to Chillicothe subdivision and pass yard Center yard and then they have to go down CSX tracks pass Barr and then they have to turn East at Forest Hills and then South at 80th Street Junction by passing through Belt Junction which they operate that’s the problem Belt Junction on the south leg is operated by Norfolk Southern NS does a lot of switching moves at Landers Yard and they do frequent light power moves down to Ashwood which is at the bottom. To Fix this Belt Junction will be removed and Union Pacific and NS will be on their own subdivisions you need Pacific tracks when they get to 80th Street Junction will be on the right side going over the bridge and then they’ll head south to St Louis from there Norfolk Southern tracks will then turn once they cross the bridge and then they will enter Ashwood yard where they will terminate. The former Metra tracks will become the new freight main in to Yard Center and Roosevelt yard as part of the Grand Crossing project which will connect directly to the Chillicothe subdivision this will relieve can congestion on the CN Freeport sub, and the CPKC Myers sub both of which Union Pacific and NS interchange with and it will also provide a direct connection to Chillicothe yard which is owned by BNSF.
This has been a long time coming. Congrats to the CREATE team of railroads, public agencies and consultants in achieving this milestone!