Reconstruction of the BNSF Railway Bridge over the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)

The Illinois Tollway reconstructed the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Bridge, which carries a triple-track railroad over the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Hinsdale and Western Springs, to accommodate the widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294). The project provided congestion relief, reconstructed aging infrastructure to meet current and future transportation needs and addressed regional needs for one of the busiest sections of the Tollway.

The BNSF Railway Bridge is one of the busiest in the region and carries 104 Metra and Amtrak trains, and 52 freight trains daily. The project area consisted of site constraints, including public parks on three quadrants and a public works facility on the fourth, in addition to utilities and drainage conveyance culverts.

HR Green provided construction management services as part of a teaming arrangement with TranSystems. The $78 million project included extensive coordination with the project stakeholders (Illinois Tollway, BNSF, Metra, Amtrak, Villages of Hinsdale, and Western Springs). It included the construction of a three-track shoo-fly railroad runaround south of the existing structure to maintain uninterrupted rail operations, demolition, and construction of a three-track permanent two-span steel girder railroad bridge over I-294, removal and construction of retaining walls, storm sewer, installation of noise abatement walls, ITS elements, landscaping and erosion control items, and roadway lighting.

The BNSF Railway Bridge project team provided innovative solutions to construction challenges and maintained rail and highway traffic while mitigating community and stakeholder impacts. The complex project provided improved parkland landscaping and amenities for the local communities and was completed on time and within budget.